cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation of Shared Decision Making for Lung Cancer Screening Among the Privately Insured Nonelderly.

Introduction. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires a written order of shared decision making (SDM) visit in its coverage policy for low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung can...
"Unrest while Resting"? Brain entropy in autism spectrum disorder.

Abstract Biological systems typically exhibit complex behavior with nonlinear dynamic properties. Nonlinear signal processing techniques such as sample entropy is a novel approach to characterize the temporal dynamics of brain connectivity. Estimating entropy is especially important in clinical populations such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as differences in entropy may signal functional alterations in the brain. Considering the models of disrupted brain network connectivity in ASD, sample entropy would provide a novel direction to understand brain organization. Resting state fMRI data from 45 high-functioning children with ASD and 45 age-and-IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children were obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE-II) database. Data were preprocessed using the CONN toolbox. Sample entropy was then calculated using the complexity toolbox, in a whole-brain voxelwise manner as well as in regions of interests (ROIs) based methods. ASD participants demonstrated significantly increased entropy in left angular gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and right inferior temporal gyrus; and reduced sample entropy in superior frontal gyrus compared to TD participants. Positive correlations of average entropy in clusters of significant group differences scores across all subjects were found. Finally, ROI analysis revealed a main effect of lobes. Differences in entropy between the ASD and TD groups suggests that entropy may provide another important index of brain dysfunction in clinical populations like ASD. Further, the relationship between increased entropy and ASD symptoms in our study underscores the role of optimal brain synchronization in cognitive and behavioral functions.
Current update on malignant epithelial ovarian tumors

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) represents the most frequently occurring gynecological malignancy, accounting for more than 70% of ovarian cancer deaths. Preoperative imaging plays an important role in assessing the extent of disease and guides the next step in surgical decision-making and operative planning. In this article, we will review the multimodality imaging features of various subtypes of EOC. We will also discuss the role of imaging in the staging, management, and surveillance of EOC.
The Good Arbitrator

Arbitration plays a significant role in bolstering confidence in cross-border economic cooperation, without which many business transactions would either would remain unconsummated or be concluded at higher costs. Consequential arbitrators bear a very real duty to enhance the fairness, accuracy and efficiency of the process. These remarks explore the qualities essential for a good arbitrator, namely, a balance between humility and confidence, as well as compassion, patience, and perseverance.
Understanding host network stack overheads

Traditional end-host network stacks are struggling to keep up with rapidly increasing datacenter access link bandwidths due to their unsustainable CPU overheads. Motivated by this, our community is exploring a multitude of solutions for future network stacks: from Linux kernel optimizations to partial hardware offload to clean-slate userspace stacks to specialized host network hardware. The design space explored by these solutions would benefit from a detailed understanding of CPU inefficiencies in existing network stacks. This paper presents measurement and insights for Linux kernel network stack performance for 100Gbps access link bandwidths. Our study reveals that such high bandwidth links, coupled with relatively stagnant technology trends for other host resources (e.g., CPU speeds and capacity, cache sizes, NIC buffer sizes, etc.), mark a fundamental shift in host network stack bottlenecks. For instance, we find that a single core is no longer able to process packets at line rate, with data copy from kernel to application buffers at the receiver becoming the core performance bottleneck. In addition, increase in bandwidth-delay products have outpaced the increase in cache sizes, resulting in inefficient DMA pipeline between the NIC and the CPU. Finally, we find that traditional loosely-coupled design of network stack and CPU schedulers in existing operating systems becomes a limiting factor in scaling network stack performance across cores. Based on insights from our study, we discuss implications to design of future operating systems, network protocols, and host hardware.
The Value and Propriety of Reintroduction as a Conservation Tool for Rare Plants

Three recent reviews of reintroduction for conservation purposes, which draw on substantial and largely nonoverlapping data sets, have come to strikingly different conclusions about its value. One concludes that “reintroduction is generally unlikely to be a successful conservation strategy as currently conducted”. Another concludes that “…this review cannot conclusively comment on the effectiveness of reintroductions…” The third concludes that there is “strong evidence in support of the notion that reintroduction, especially in combination with ex situ conservation, is a tool that can go a long way toward meeting the needs it was intended to address”. The argument over the conservation value of reintroduction is of more than academic interest. It illustrates a challenge facing land managers and decision makers who may be tempted to act on stated conclusions without thoroughly understanding their underlying assumptions, methodology, and terminology. The differing conclusions can be partially explained by d...
Book Review, Distant Proximities by James N. Rosenau

ion" in his observations of world politics, Rosenau writes that he cannot help but ask about any phenomenon, "'Of what is this an instance?"' (p. 406). This predilection for seeking (and inventing) theories that encompass every item in the news leads Rosenau to endless proposals in Distant Proximities, most of them ill-considered when they are controversial, and rather obvious when they are not. Next, Rosenau admits that his academic thinking has abandoned "scientific criteria of parsimony ... in favor of an interpretive approach . . . that lack[s] scientific discipline" (p. 407). Unfortunately, this more expansive style of inquiry leads frequently to argument by anecdote, and to sweeping assertions about the state of the world
Orthodoxies in the Field of Production

A revised version of the introduction to my own Entanglements: Marking Place in the Field of Religion (Sheffield: Equinox Publishers, 2014), this essay identifies some of the rhetorical techniques and institutional conditions that make possible the establishment of an exclusive orthodoxy in the modern academic study of religion – an orthodoxy that polices the limits of the field by determining not only what counts as legitimate methods, data, and findings but also who counts as a legitimate practitioner.
The Superconductive Proximity Effect

The superconductive proximity effect is understood to mean the modifi-cation of the superconducting properties of one metal when it resides in intimate contact with another. The second metal may itself be superconductive, “normal” (i.e., with a very low or “negative” T c ), or characterized by special magnetic or other properties. The theory of the proximity effect usually presupposes a lamellate sample geometry. The practical bimetallic pair may also conform to this specification, being fabricated in bilayer form using thin-film techniques. Thus, for example, a superconducting film may be deposited by vacuum evaporation or sputtering over a normal-metal underlayer, both being supported by an inert substrate, whose properties do not enter into the discussion. In situ formation of proximity-effect couples is also possible. In such cases, one of the materials may be in the form of either elongated directionally solidified precipitates or of a finely precipitated second-phase dispersion.
Report on Business Ethics in North America

Although many challenges remain, business ethics is flourishing in North America. Prominent organizations give annual business ethics awards, investments in socially screened mutual funds are increasing, ethics officers and corporate ombudspersons are more common and more influential, and new ideas are being tested in practice. On the academic side, two major journals specializing in business ethics are well-established and other major journals often include articles on business ethics and new organizations emphasizing ethics have been initiated. Within business schools, the number of endowed chairs is growing and the ethics curriculum is expanding. Canada is a major player in the business ethics discipline while business ethics in Mexico is just beginning to emerge as a focus of interest in both the business and academic communities.
Building reliable mix networks with fair exchange

In this paper we present techniques by which each mix in a mix network can be paid for its services by message senders, in a way that ensures fairness and without sacrificing anonymity. We describe a payment mechanism for use in mix networks, and use this payment scheme in fair exchange mechanisms for both connection-based and message-based mix networks. In connection-based mix networks, our protocols achieve fairness in a weak sense: no player can benefit from stopping the exchange prematurely. In message-based mix networks, by taking advantage of each mix's next-hop neighbor as a rational third party, our exchange protocol guarantees strict fairness between initiators and mixes: either both parties successfully exchange payment and service or neither gains anything.
Customer Trust in the Salesperson

Abstract The development of trust between salespeople and their customers has traditionally been considered a critical element in developing and maintaining a successful sales relationship. This article presents the first comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis of the antecedents of trust and consequences of trust in a sales context. A summary conclusion is that trust has a moderate but beneficial influence on the development of positive customer attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Another conclusion is that salespeople have modest influence over the development of trust between themselves and their customers. A comprehensive model of the role of trust in sales is presented. Directions for future research are identified.
Noninvasive assessment of osteoarthritis severity in human explants by multicontrast MRI.

Purpose Medical imaging has the potential to noninvasively diagnose early disease onset and monitor the success of repair therapies. Unfortunately, few reliable imaging biomarkers exist to detect cartilage diseases before advanced degeneration in the tissue. Method In this study, we quantified the ability to detect osteoarthritis (OA) severity in human cartilage explants using a multicontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach, inclusive of novel displacements under applied loading by MRI, relaxivity measures, and standard MRI. Results Displacements under applied loading by MRI measures, which characterized the spatial micromechanical environment by 2D finite and Von Mises strains, were strong predictors of histologically assessed OA severity, both before and after controlling for factors, e.g., patient, joint region, and morphology. Relaxivity measures, sensitive to local macromolecular weight and composition, including T1ρ, but not T1 or T2, were predictors of OA severity. A combined multicontrast approach that exploited spatial variations in tissue biomechanics and extracellular matrix structure yielded the strongest relationships to OA severity. Conclusion Our results indicate that combining multiple MRI-based biomarkers has high potential for the noninvasive measurement of OA severity and the evaluation of potential therapeutic agents used in the treatment of early OA in animal and human trials. Magn Reson Med 71:807–814, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The University of Texas Catalog of Ultraviolet and Optical Stellar Data

At the University of Texas we are working on the reduction and analysis of ultraviolet stellar spectra obtained with the S–019 experiment on Skylab (Karl Henize, principal investigator). Our objective prism photographs recorded nearly 10, 000 stars at wavelengths shortward of 3000A, many of them of 9th or 10th visual mag., and for proper analysis we need to assemble ground-based data into a workable master catalog. The most immediate application of this catalog will be computer simulation of the ultraviolet photographs in order to point out significant anomalies with respect to previous knowledge. We need to have a catalog, then, which is as complete as possible in terms of the existence of early-type stars to at least 10th mag., their spectral types, photometry, known peculiarities, duplicity, and so forth. Also the master catalog must contain only a single value for each magnitude and for the spectral type, rather than a listing of various determinations, in order to be useful for the simulation. This means that auxiliary data files are needed for recording data in more detail so that the master catalog may be kept at a workable size, while at the same time the basic data are readily available.
Sentence production: from mind to mouth

This chapter describes some contemporary views about the processes that produce the structural and lexical features of utterances, as well as errors and dysfluencies. It discusses a modal view of the processes of production and highlights some current controversies. It focuses on fluency and discusses how it is linked to the information processing problems of production. Descriptions of language structure from linguistics are often taken as best guesses about the organization of speaker's knowledge of their language. The chief issues in production therefore center on information processing, and include how and when the processing system retrieves different kinds of linguistic knowledge, how the system uses the knowledge once it has been retrieved, how and when the system retrieves and uses nonlinguistic knowledge, and how the system is organized within and constrained by human cognitive capacities. The chapter also explores some residual questions about the relationships between production and comprehension and between performance and competence. In this context, it explains how speakers use linguistic knowledge in the production of utterances. This requires a specification of the knowledge that speakers have and a specification of the information processing system in which the knowledge is put to use; this is explained in the chapter.
Cloning of genes governing the deoxysugar portion of the erythromycin biosynthesis pathway in Saccharopolyspora erythraea (Streptomyces erythreus)

Genes that govern the formation of deoxysugars or their attachment to erythronolide B and 3 alpha-mycarosyl erythronolide B, intermediates of the biosynthesis of the 14-membered macrolide antibiotic erythromycin, were cloned from Saccharopolyspora erythraea (formerly Streptomyces erythreus). Segments of DNA that complement the eryB25, eryB26, eryB46, eryC1-60, and eryD24 mutations blocking the formation of erythronolide B or 3 alpha-mycarosyl erythronolide B, when cloned in Escherichia coli-Streptomyces shuttle cosmids or plasmid vectors that can transform S. erythraea, were located in a ca. 18-kilobase-pair region upstream of the erythromycin resistance (ermE) gene. The eryC1 gene lies just to the 59 side of ermE, and one (or possibly two) eryB gene is approximately 12 kilobase pairs farther upstream. Another eryB gene may be in the same region, while an additional eryB mutation appears to be located elsewhere. The eryD gene lies between the eryB and eryC1 genes and may regulate their function on the basis of the phenotype of an EryD- mutant. Images
Finding fault with health risk assessment: A typology for risk assessment criticism

ABSTRACTAlthough systematic, quantitative assessment of environmental health risks is a staple of regulatory decision-making, complaints regarding its perceived failures and shortcomings are an intrinsic feature of the policy landscape. In this article, we (a) catalog the classic criticisms of conventional health risk assessment, (b) create a typology that orders the critiques according to their focus on either input errors or output biases, and (c) identify selected allegations that fall within each category. We also note that the risk assessment–risk management paradigm has evolved over the past several decades, partially in accordance with the general direction and spirit of these classic critiques. The debate continues today along familiar lines invoking the traditional critiques and rebuttals outlined here.
TS-TBCR: an access protocol for wireless LANs

The authors propose a time split channel access with token based contention resolution (TS-TBCR) protocol for integrated voice and data applications on wireless LANs. This protocol provides perfect scheduling by reserving a small bandwidth for contention resolution. This guarantees contention resolution before the start of an information slot thus preventing collisions and conserving bandwidth. For contention resolution a token based scheme requiring little centralized control from the base station is suggested. This protocol provides statistical multiplexing of voice and data traffic. Performance of the protocol for voice traffic was evaluated using a computer simulation. The results show that a large number of information sources can be multiplexed on the wireless channel keeping the voice packet loss probability within acceptable limits. The protocol can thus be utilized for provision of integrated services. >
Differential effect of antiepileptic and non-antiepileptic drugs on the reticular formation.

Abstract The effect of the antiepileptic drugs carbamazepine and phenytoin, and of the non-antiepileptic drug baclofen, was compared on various inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms in the feline trigeminal nucleus. Baclofen resembled carbamazepine and phenytoin in depressing segmental excitatory and facilitating segmental inhibitory mechanisms. However, baclofen facilitated the periventricular and periaqueductal inhibition of the trigeminal nucleus, while carbamazepine and phenytoin depressed these descending inhibitory mechanisms. Baclofen also resembles carbamazepine and phenytoin in its effectivenessin trigeminal neuralgia, but baclofen is not a clinically effective antiepileptic agent. Our experiments indicate that the ability to depress the reticular formation of the diencephalon and midbrain is an important characteristic of antiepileptic drugs. This suggests that the reticular core is involved in the spread and generalization of seizures.
Mixed integer programming based battery sizing

In this paper, mixed integer programming (MIP) formulations are proposed to obtain the optimal capacity of the battery energy storage system (BESS) in a power system. Two optimization problems will be investigated: (1) When the BESS is owned by a utility, the operation cost of generators and cost of battery will be minimized. Generator on/off states, dispatch level and battery power dispatch level will be determined for a 24-h period. (2) When the BESS is owned by a community for peak shaving, the objective function will have a penalty component for the deviation of the imported power from the scheduled imported power. The battery sizing parameters, power limit and energy limit, are treated as decision variables in the optimization problems. In both cases, switchable loads are considered. Further, constrains of switchable loads are included in the optimization problem to show their impact on battery sizing. MIP problems are solved by CPLEX. The simulation results present the effect of switchable load penetration level on battery sizing parameters.
Order reduction of parametrically excited linear and nonlinear structural systems

Order reduction of parametrically excited linear and nonlinear structural systems represented by a set of second order equations is considered. First, the system is converted into a second order system with time invariant linear system matrices and (for nonlinear systems) periodically modulated nonlinearities via the Lyapunov-Floquet transformation. Then a master-slave separation of degrees of freedom is used and a relation between the slave coordinates and the master coordinates is constructed. Two possible order reduction techniques are suggested. In the first approach a constant Guyan-like linear kernel which accounts for both stiffness and inertia is employed with a possible periodically modulated nonlinear part for nonlinear systems. The second method for nonlinear systems reduces to finding a time-periodic nonlinear invariant manifold relation in the modal coordinates. In the process, closed form expressions for “true internal” and “true combination” resonances are obtained for various nonlinearities which are generalizations of those previously reported for time-invariant systems. No limits are placed on the size of the time-periodic terms thus making this method extremely general even for strongly excited systems. A four degree-of-freedom mass- spring-damper system with periodic stiffness and damping as well as two and five degree-of-freedom inverted pendula with periodic follower forces are used as illustrative examples. The nonlinear-based reduced models are compared with linear-based reduced models in the presence and absence of nonlinear resonances.
Mapping human brain function with MEG and EEG: methods and validation

We survey the field of magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) source estimation. These modalities offer the potential for functional brain mapping with temporal resolution in the millisecond range. However, the limited number of spatial measurements and the ill-posedness of the inverse problem present significant limits to our ability to produce accurate spatial maps from these data without imposing major restrictions on the form of the inverse solution. Here we describe approaches to solving the forward problem of computing the mapping from putative inverse solutions into the data space. We then describe the inverse problem in terms of low dimensional solutions, based on the equivalent current dipole (ECD), and high dimensional solutions, in which images of neural activation are constrained to the cerebral cortex. We also address the issue of objective assessment of the relative performance of inverse procedures by the free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) curve. We conclude with a discussion of methods for assessing statistical significance of experimental results through use of the bootstrap for determining confidence regions in dipole-fitting methods, and random field (RF) and permutation methods for detecting significant activation in cortically constrained imaging studies.
Electron stimulated desorption of positive ions from an adsorbate-covered Si(100) surface

Abstract Electron stimulated desorption of positive ions (H+, C+, O+, CO+ and CO2+) from the (100) surface of a silicon single crystal exposed to NO and CO at room temperature has been observed for electron energies in the range of 0–180 eV. The dependence of the ion yields on the incident electron beam energy shows thresholds in the 18.5–22.5 eV range and features at Si core level excitation energies. The total desorption cross sections for the ionic species are similar and at a value of approximately 10−18 cm2.
Evaluation of Radon Mitigation Systems in 14 Houses Over a Two-year Period

Fourteen single-family detached houses in Spokane, Washington, and Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, were monitored for two years after high concentrations of indoor radon had been mitigated. Each house was monitored quarterly using mailed alpha-track radon detectors deployed in each zone of the structure. To assess performance of mitigation systems during the second heating season after mitigation, radon concentrations in seven houses were monitored continuously for several weeks, mitigation systems in all houses were inspected, and selected other measurements were taken. In addition, occupants were also interviewed regarding their maintenance, operation, and subjective evaluation of the radon mitigation systems. Quarterly alpha-track measurements showed that radon levels had increased in most of the homes during many follow-up measurement periods when compared with concentrations measured immediately after mitigation. Mitigation-system performance was adversely affected by (1) accumulated outdoor debris blocking the outlets of subsurface pressurization pipes; (2) fans being turned off (e.g., because of excessive noise or vibration); (3) air-to-air heat exchanger, basement pressurization, and subsurface ventilation fans being turned off and fan speeds reduced; and (4) crawl-space vents being closed or sealed.
Quantification of Increase in Three-dimensional Spine Flexibility Following Sequential Ponte Osteotomies in a Cadaveric Model

Abstract Background Posterior-only procedures are becoming more popular for treatment of rigid adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, but little is known about the quantitative correction potential for Ponte osteotomies. The objective of this study was to quantify and compare the range of motion of intact multilevel thoracic spine segments with the same segments after each of 3 sequential Ponte osteotomies. Methods We tested 5 human cadaveric thoracic spine segments, spanning T–T6, or T7–T12, in an 8-degree-of-freedom servo-hydraulic load frame, monitoring motion of each vertebra with an optical motion tracker. We measured range of motion while we applied cyclic, pure moment loading to produce flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation at a rate of 0.5°/second, to a maximum of ± 6 Nm. Each specimen was tested intact and after each of 3 sequential Ponte osteotomies. Results Total range of motion for the segments (either T2–T5 or T8–T11) increased by as much as 1.6° in flexion, 1.5° in extension, 0.5° in lateral bending, and 2.8° in axial rotation with each osteotomy. Because of the variation in initial specimen stiffness, we normalized motions to the intact values. In flexion, average range of motion increased after each osteotomy compared with intact, by 33%, 56%, and 69%. In extension, slightly smaller increases were seen, increasing by as much as 56% after the third osteotomy. In lateral bending, Ponte osteotomies had little effect on range of motion. In axial rotation, range of motion increased by 16%, 29%, and 65% after 3 osteotomies. Conclusions Sequential Ponte osteotomies increased range of motion in flexion, extension, and axial rotation, but not in lateral bending. These results suggest that the Ponte osteotomy may be appropriate when using derotational correction maneuvers, or to improve apical lordosis at the apex of curvature during posterior spinal fusion procedures. Although these techniques are effective in gaining correction for kyphotic deformities and rigid curvatures, they add time and blood loss to the procedure.
Application of the Capital Asset Pricing Model to Multi‐period Investments

This paper presents a method for evaluating a multi-period asset that is consistent with the valuations implied by the capital asset pricing model, and shows how the results of the valuation processes can be expressed in terms of a number of commonly used valuation formulas. Ce papier expose tout d'abord une methode permettant d'estimer une valeur immobilisee a multiples periodes qui soit compatible avec les evaluations fournies par le modele d'bvaluation de l'actif immobilise. II montre ensuite comment les resultats des operations d'haluation peuvent etre exprimes au moyen d'un nombre de formules d'estimation couramment utilisees. Dieser Beitrag stellt eine Methode fur die Bewertung einer mehrperiodischen Investition dar, die mit den Bewertungen, die das ‘Capital Asset Pricing’ Modell impliziert, ubereinstimmt. Er zeigt, wie die Ergebnisse des Bewertungsprozesses mittels einer Anzahl gebrluchlicher Formeln ausgedruckt werden konnen.
Incorporating water goals into forest management decisions at a local level

Abstract Silvicultural practices are important factors in determining water yield and quality from forested watersheds. Similarly, goals for water yield and quality significantly influence the acceptability of various silvicultural practices. Developed through a process of consulting experts in various subspecialties of natural resource management, the NED 1 decision support software is designed to provide a structure for project-level analysis of management alternatives based on identified goals. Using this software, one can analyze forest conditions in the northeastern United States with respect to water, wildlife, timber production, visual quality, and general ecological goals. Water quantity goals include increasing water flow, maintaining a minimum flow, and limiting peak flow. Water quality goals include intensive watercourse protection, wetlands protection, riparian area management, cold-water fish habitat, and warm-water fish habitat. In all cases, a minimum goal of obeying the law by following statutory best management practices (BMPs) is implied, whether or not one selects another water goal. Given a set of goals, a user of the NED system can analyze which goals are met under alternative silvicultural prescriptions or other activities and resolve which goals may or may not be compatible with each other.
Preface-osteoarthritis: from the simple X-ray to compositional MRI: what have we learned?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an extraordinarily prevalent disease. Approximately 50 million Americans and 800 million people worldwide have reported having OA and approximately 20 million Americans arthritis-associated activity limitations. OA of the knee, which is the joint most well investigated, affects an estimated 6% of adults and is a leading cause of disability among adults in the United States. The economic burden of arthritis is estimated to be approximately $120 billion, which is equivalent to 1.2% of the gross domestic product. OA, however, remains an enigmatic disease. At the meeting of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International held in Montreal, Canada, September 10–13, 2009, it was reported that 10% of the population has asymptomatic OA, 58% of persons with knee OA have no radiographic findings, and 80% of persons who have had an anterior cruciate ligament develop OA. Today, knowledge of the pathophysiology and natural history of OA is so limited that most of the patients and even physicians believe that there is little we can do to treat or prevent the disease other than trying to alleviate the inflammatory symptoms when they occur. In the meantime, several epidemiologic studies were or are currently under way to help understand the relationship between structure and function and how best to intervene in this disease process. Imaging is playing a major role in these studies and providing insights in understanding of this complex disease. In this issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, world-renowned researchers and clinicians report on the latest advances in understanding of the disease using imaging. Dr Hunter presents insights on epidemiology of the disease and how to tackle its risk factors. Drs Hunter and Wilson describe the importance of alignment and mechanics in pathophysiology of OA and in the treatment of the disease.
Independent Lec1A CHO glycosylation mutants arise from point mutations in N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I that reduce affinity for both substrates. Molecular consequences based on the crystal structure of GlcNAc-TI.

A key enzyme in regulating the maturation of N-linked glycans is UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:α-3-d-mannoside β-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GlcNAc-TI, EC 2.4.1.101). Lec1 CHO cells lack GlcNAc-TI activity and synthesize only the oligomannosyl class of N-glycans. By contrast, Lec1A CHO mutants have weak GlcNAc-TI activity due to the reduced affinity of GlcNAc-TI for both the UDP-GlcNAc and Man5GlcNAc2Asn substrates. Lec1A CHO mutants synthesize hybrid and complex N-glycans, albeit in reduced amounts compared to parental CHO cells. In this paper, we identify two point mutations that gave rise to the Lec1A phenotype in three independent Lec1A CHO mutants. The G634A mutation in Lec1A.2C converts an aspartic acid to an asparagine at amino acid 212, disrupting a conserved DXD motif (E211DD213 in all GlcNAc-TIs) that makes critical interactions with bound UDP-GlcNAc and Mn2+ ion in rabbit GlcNAc-TI. The C907T mutation in Lec1A.3E and Lec1A.5J converts an arginine conserved in all GlcNAc-TIs to a tryptophan...
OPTIMIZATION OF A CHOCOLATE PEANUT SPREAD USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM)

Response surface methodology was used to optimize formulations of chocolate peanut spread. Thirty-six formulations with varying levels of peanut (25-90%), chocolate (5-70%) and sugar (5-55%) were processed using a three-component constrained simplex lattice design. The processing variable, roast (light, medium, dark) was also included in the design. Response variables, measured with consumers (n = 60) participating in the test, were spreadability, overall acceptability, appearance, color, flavor, sweetness and texture/mouthfeel, using a 9-point hedonic scale. Regression analysis was performed and models were built for each significant (p < 0.01) response variable. Contour plots for each attribute, at each level of roast, were generated and superimposed to determine areas of overlap. Optimum formulations (consumer acceptance rating of ≥ 6.0 for all attributes) for chocolate peanut spread were all combinations of 29-65% peanut, 9-41% chocolate, and 17-36% sugar, adding up to 100%, at a medium roast. Verification of two formulations indicated no difference between predicted and observed values.
Delayed incorporation of H 3 -thymidine by primordial cells

Roots of Vicia faba were treated with H3-thymidine (1 μc/ml) for 1 h and incorporation of H3-TdR into nuclei of primordia was studied. Large primordia (>1,500 cells) did not incorporate H3-TdR. Cells of small primordia did not incorporate the labeled precursor immediately but did so after a delay of several hours. The frequency of labeled nuclei became similar to that of lateral meristems only after a delay of 12–14 h. The gradual increase in labeling index also occurs in colchicine treated cells, which do not divide; this shows that the rise in labeling index is not due solely to the division of labeled cells. It has been estimated from H3-TdR and colchicine labeled cells that small primordia have a population of cells in which intermitotic time is about 12 h. The delay in incorporation appears to indicate that pools of H3-TdR can be maintained in small primordia for several hrs and that the precursor is not used until the cells synthesize thymidine kinase.
RNA synthesis in anucleate egg fragments and normal embryos of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata

Abstract 1. Parthenogenetically-activated anucleate fragments of Arbacia punctulata eggs incorporate radioactive uridine into high molecular weight RNA. Uridine incorporation by anucleate egg fragments is greatly stimulated by parthenogenetic activation. Sucrose gradient analysis shows that the labeled material sediments with a broad peak at about 14 S. Agarose-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicates that the high molecular weight material is composed of at least two species of RNA, and that in addition a low molecular weight species, probably transfer RNA, comprises about 15% of the total. 2. Rates of [3H]uridine incorporation as well as sedimentation properties of labeled RNA are similar in normal early embryos and activated anucleate fragments. It is suggested that most of the RNA synthesis in the very early embryo occurs in the cytoplasm.
The dynamic fracture and prefracture response of compact bone by split Hopkinson bar methods.

Abstract The split Hopkinson bar technique was used to measure some dynamic material properties of compact beef bone in compression, tension, torsion and combined torsion and compression. The prefracture response in compression was viscoelastic; a relaxation function was measured. The fracture stress in compression increased with strain rate, however, very high stresses were tolerated without fracture as long as the load was removed before failure. Residual plastic strain after load removal was obtained in combined torsion and compression, but seldom with compression alone. Some fracture stress values in biaxial stress states are presented.
Increased frequency of complement C4B deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective To assess the copy number variation of complement C4A and C4B genes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods DNA samples were obtained from 299 patients and controls and analyzed for copy number variation of total complement C4, C4A, and C4B genes. The results were compared by chi-square analysis, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. Results Chi-square analysis revealed similar distribution patterns of total C4 alleles in RA patients (n = 160), non-RA patients (n = 88), and healthy controls (n = 51). There was no trend toward C4A deficiency as in lupus. Significant differences in C4B distribution were observed in RA patients, in whom an ∼2-fold increase in the frequency of homozygous and/or heterozygous C4B deficiency (0 or 1 allele) (40%) was present relative to non-RA patients or healthy controls (both 21.6%). C4B deficiency was more frequent in seropositive RA patients than in seronegative RA patients (44% versus 31%). The odds of C4B deficiency were 2.99 (95% CI 1.58–5.65) (P = 0.0006) in seropositive RA patients relative to non-RA controls. These findings were confirmed in a larger healthy control cohort, yielding an OR of 1.83 (95% CI 1.21–2.76) (P = 0.0056). The association of the shared epitope with C4B deficiency was significantly greater in seropositive RA patients than in non–seropositive RA controls (96% versus 54.5%) (P < 0.0001), suggesting that C4B deficiency interacts with the shared epitope in the development of seropositive RA. Conclusion Our findings indicate a relationship between C4B copy number variation and RA that approximates that seen between C4A copy number variation and lupus. The concurrence of C4B deficiency and the shared epitope in seropositive RA may have broad implications for our understanding of RA pathogenesis.
The formation of cocaethylene and clinical presentation of ED patients testing positive for the use of cocaine and ethanol

The purpose of this investigation was to document the clinical presentation of emergency department (ED) patients who tested positive for concurrent cocaine (COC) and ethanol (EtOH) use and the incidence of cocaethylene (CE) formation in this study population. Four study groups were evaluated: (1) drug-free, (2) EtOH-only, (3) COC-only, and (4) COC plus EtOH. CE was detected in plasma or urine specimens in 88% of the COC/EtOH-positive patients, and correlated directly with plasma COC and its metabolite benzoylecognine. Blood pressure and body temperature did not vary across study groups. COC/EtOH-positive patients displayed a significantly higher mean respiratory rate while the EtOH-only study group had an elevated mean heart rate. No significant differences were detected with respect to cardiac and neurological complaints between study groups. Trauma complaints in the drug-positive groups were more frequent than the incidence reported in the drug-free population. COC/EtOH-positive patients had the greatest percentage of trauma complaints (34.6%). Nearly half of the patients who tested positive for CE cited trauma as the primary reason for reporting to the ED. We conclude that ED patients who have concurrently used COC and EtOH are more closely associated with presentations related to traumatic injury than to those related to toxicologic complications.
Effect of limbic stimulation on release of corticosteroids into the adrenal venous effluent of the cat.

Facilitatory and inhibitory influences on adrenal cortical secretion have been demonstrated after unilateral stimulation of selected limbic structures in acute encephale isole cat preparations. Thus, significant decreases in corticosteroid levels in the adrenal venous effluent were observed in 9 cats, 15 or 30 minutes after a single 30 second stimulation in the uncus, the lateral amygdala, the preoptic region, diagonal band of Broca, or the septum. Significant increases in corticosteroid levels were observed in 4 cats following stimulation in hippocampal cortex or in antero-mesial amygdala. No significant change in corticosteroid levels was seen in 3 cats during a one-hour period following stimulation in other hippocampal or amygdaloid areas. Thus, the limbic system would appear to contain separate components functionally related to inhibition or facilitation of ACTH release.
A shear-lag analysis of transverse cracking and delamination in cross-ply carbon-fibre/epoxy composites under dry, saturated and immersed fatigue conditions

Motivated by experimental observations, the shear-lag method has been employed to model the competition between the transverse cracking and delamination modes of failure that occur in cross-ply AS4/3501-6 carbon-fibre/epoxy coupons subjected to fatigue. The results explain the extensive delaminations and reduced crack densities that arise under immersed fatigue conditions, as compared with fatigue in air.
Perceived maternal and paternal psychological control: relations to adolescent anxiety through deficits in emotion regulation.

The current study compared the differential effects of early adolescents’ perceived maternal and paternal psychological control (as well as their discrepancy) on adolescent anxiety. It also tested whether psychological control leads to deficits in youths’ ability to regulate their negative emotions, and if, in turn, such deficits lead to anxiety. Sixth- and seventh-grade students (n = 214; 59 % girls; 60 % Caucasian) completed measures of perceived psychological control, regulation of negative emotions, and anxiety symptoms. The discrepancy between perceived mothers’ and fathers’ control was also calculated. Although perceptions of mothers’ control, fathers’ control, and their discrepancy were each bivariately related to adolescent anxiety, when considered together, only a larger discrepancy in parents’ psychological control was uniquely associated with higher self-reported anxiety. Further, adolescents’ dysregulation of negative emotions partially explained the relation of both maternal psychological control and the discrepancy in parental control to anxiety. Implications for understanding family-based etiological correlates of anxiety are discussed.
Flow thresholds of nonodorous air through the human naris as a function of temperature and humidity

The process of olfactory sensation is probably a Gestalt consisting of motor, physical, and chemical components formed during the transport of the odor-bearing airstream past the olfactory epithelium. In studying a sensory process, it is often necessary to examine the components independently. Apart from its contribution to the olfactory Gestalt, in dynamic olfactometry airflow may distract from, compete with, or mask chemical sensation. Four nonsmoking male subjects were employed to obtain flow thresholds of nonodorous air at eight temperature/ humidity combinations. The stimulus-generating apparatus was housed in a temperature-regulated oven. All materials in contact with the airstream were thoroughly cleaned and were constructed of nonreactive materials to avoid olfactory cues. An evaluation of the quality of the output demonstrated purity. A Beesy technique was used to deliver stimuli via a nasal catheter to the subject. Thresholds were found to be nearly identical for the lowest humidity levels regardless of the temperature. In general, the closer the temperature/humidity was to physiological normal, the higher the threshold. Since the thresholds were so strongly functions of temperature and humidity, it is likely that transduction was by trigeminal thermoreceptive afferents. The utilization of subthreshold flows in olfactory research may reduce the trigeminal component in olfaction, thus permitting better assessment of the contribution of the olfactory nerve to olfactory sensation.
Variation in diffusion of gases through PDMS due to plasma surface treatment and storage conditions

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a commonly used polymer in the fabrication of microfluidic devices due to such features as transparency, gas permeability, and ease of patterning with soft lithography. The surface characteristics of PDMS can also be easily changed with oxygen or low pressure air plasma converting it from a hydrophobic to a hydrophilic state. As part of such a transformation, surface methyl groups are removed and replaced with hydroxyl groups making the exposed surface to resemble silica, a gas impermeable substance. We have utilized Platinum(II)-tetrakis(pentaflourophenyl)porphyrin immobilized within a thin (~1.5 um thick) polystyrene matrix as an oxygen sensor, Stern-Volmer relationship, and Fick's Law of simple diffusion to measure the effects of PDMS composition, treatment, and storage on oxygen diffusion through PDMS. Results indicate that freshly oxidized PDMS showed a significantly smaller diffusion coefficient, indicating that the SiO2 layer formed on the PDMS surface created an impeding barrier. This barrier disappeared after a 3-day storage in air, but remained significant for up to 3 weeks if PDMS was maintained in contact with water. Additionally, higher density PDMS formulation (5:1 ratio) showed similar diffusion characteristics as normal (10:1 ratio) formulation, but showed 60 % smaller diffusion coefficient after plasma treatment that never recovered to pre-treatment levels even after a 3-week storage in air. Understanding how plasma surface treatments contribute to oxygen diffusion will be useful in exploiting the gas permeability of PDMS to establish defined normoxic and hypoxic oxygen conditions within microfluidic bioreactor systems.
Management of neonatal hydrocephalus

Abstract Neonatal hydrocephalus is a complex disorder due to many different causes. This review seeks to encapsulate the management of neonatal hydrocephalus in the term neonate. The current treatments are explored and explained.
Review: avulsion with phenol prevents recurrence of ingrown toenails

Source Citation Rounding C, Hulm S. Surgical treatments for ingrowing toenails. Cochrane Review, latest version 13 Mar 1999. In: The Cochrane Library. Oxford: Update Software. 20257889
Size-related stable isotope changes in Late Cretaceous planktic foraminifera: Implications for paleoecology and photosymbiosis

Abstract The paleoecology of Cretaceous planktic foraminifera during the Late Cenomanian to Coniacian period (∼ 95–86 Ma) remains controversial since much of the tropical marine record is preserved as chalk and limestone with uncertain geochemical overprints. Here we present δ13C and δ18O data from sieve size fractions of monospecific samples of exceptionally well preserved planktic foraminifera recovered during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 207 (Demerara Rise, western tropical Atlantic). Our results suggest that all species studied (Hedbergella delrioensis, Heterohelix globulosa, Marginotruncana sinuosa, Whiteinella baltica) grew primarily in surface waters and did not change their depth habitat substantially during their life cycle. Comparison of size-related ontogenetic trends in δ13C in Cretaceous and modern foraminifera further suggests that detection of dinoflagellate photosymbiosis using δ13C is confounded by physiological effects during the early stages of foraminifer growth, raising doubts about previous interpretations of photosymbiosis in small foraminifera species. We propose that obligate photosymbiosis involving dinoflagellates may not have evolved until the Campanian or Maastrichtian since our survey of Cenomanian–Coniacian species does not find the δ18O and δ13C size-related trends observed in modern foraminifer–dinoflagellate symbioses.