cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-week treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram reduces contextual anxiety but not cued fear in healthy volunteers: a fear-potentiated startle study

Chronic treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) alleviates both anxiety symptoms and associated physiologic disturbances in anxious patients. However, limited research considers the degree to which chronic SSRI treatment influences anxiety in healthy individuals. This study examined the effect of 2-week citalopram treatment on two threat responses: short- and long-duration-potentiated startle. Prior work suggests that these two responses provide neurally and functionally distinct models of fear and anxiety, respectively, in rodents. Healthy volunteers (n=53) received either placebo or citalopram (20 mg per day) for 2 weeks under double-blind conditions. They were each tested twice, before and after treatment. Participants were exposed to three conditions, including one in which predictable aversive shocks were signaled by a cue, a second in which unpredictable shocks were anticipated, and a third in which no shocks were administered. Aversive states were indexed by acoustic startle. Phasic fear-potentiated startle to the threat cue, as well as sustained startle potentiation to the experimental context in the predictable and unpredictable conditions, were investigated. Citalopram affected neither baseline startle nor short-duration fear-potentiated startle to discrete threat cues. However, citalopram reduced long-duration startle potentiation in the predictable conditions. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that short- and long-duration aversive states are mediated by distinct neural systems. They suggest that citalopram alleviates symptoms of anticipatory anxiety, not fear, by acting on mechanisms underlying long-duration aversive states.
Walking shoes and laterally wedged orthoses in the clinical management of medial tibiofemoral osteoarthritis: A one-year prospective controlled trial

The purpose of the study was to examine the clinical efficacy of individually prescribed laterally wedged orthoses and walking shoes in the treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis using a prospective, single-blind, block-randomized controlled design. Sixty-six subjects (29 males, 37 females, mean age 62.4 years, mean BMI 33.0 kg/m(2)) were block-randomized to a lateral wedge (treatment) or neutral (control) orthotic group. Both groups were issued a standardized walking shoe for use with the orthoses. Primary outcome measures included the pain, stiffness, and functional limitations subscales of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities index. Secondary outcome measures included the 6-minute walk distance and pain change, and stair negotiation time and pain change. A significant interaction (p=0.039) favoring the treatment group was observed for pain change during the 6-minute walk. The treatment group demonstrated significant improvements at both 1 month (p<0.001) and 1 year (p<0.001) compared to baseline. The control group only demonstrated significant improvements at 1 year (p=0.017). No other interactions were observed. Both groups were improved at each follow-up in the WOMAC subscales for pain (p<0.001), stiffness (p<0.001), and physical function (p<0.001). Both groups also improved in 6-minute walk test distance (p<0.001), stair negotiation test time (p=0.004), and stair negotiation test pain change (p<0.001). The results suggest that both neutral and laterally wedged orthoses may be beneficial in the management of medial knee osteoarthritis when used with walking shoes. However, the addition of lateral wedging was associated with early improvements in 6-minute walk test pain change not seen in the control group.
A study of solid-particle erosion of metallic targets

We perform detailed finite element simulations of impact of metallic plates by spherical particles over a range of impact angles and speeds with a view to develop an insight into the fundamental mechanisms underlying solid-particle erosion. The particular experimental configuration and data set which we analyze corresponds to the experiments of Hutchings (Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 348 (1976) 379), consisting of high-strength steel spherical particles striking mild-steel target plates. The material description used in calculations includes finite deformations, strain hardening, thermal softening, rate sensitivity, frictional contact, heat generation due to plastic working and friction, dynamics and heat conduction. The analysis reveals insights into the relative roles played by plastic flow, friction and adiabatic shearing over the full range of impact angles from glancing to normal impact; and over impact velocities ranging from 141 to 2000 m/s.
Sedimentological and Geophysical Signatures of A Relict Tidal Inlet Complex Along A Wave-Dominated Barrier: Assateague Island, Maryland, U.S.A

Abstract Assateague Island is a classic example of a wave-dominated, retrograding barrier island, with its recent geological history punctuated by episodes of overwash and breaching (comparable to the Outer Banks, North Carolina; northern New Jersey coast; Long Island, New York, etc.). This study aims to provide high-resolution data of a paleo-inlet which may lead to a more precise evolutionary model of other wave-dominated barrier islands. The study focuses on a historically stable segment fronting the Green Run Bay. The site lies north of the historical Green Run Inlet (active until 1880); however, there is no morphological or historical evidence of this inlet occupying the more northerly position, thus suggesting that the study site may represent a relict part of the barrier. High-resolution ground-penetrating radar (GPR) images, complemented with sediment cores and multi-dating techniques, were used to reconstruct the geological legacy of the Green Run Bay segment. The findings indicate that a shallow backbarrier channel, still visible within the Green Run Bay, can be traced to a large (> 380 m wide, 3.0–3.5 m thick) channel cut-and-fill structure beneath the barrier. The channel fill consists of tangential- to sigmoidal-oblique, southward-dipping reflections downlapping onto channel lag facies, which overlie subhorizontal bay-fill strata. Mollusks from the bay fill yield calibrated ages of 4419–2018 yr BP. The paleo-channel facies overlying the bay deposits exhibit a fining-upward sequence, with a mean grain size decreasing from 0.44 to 2.43 φ (0.74 to 0.19 mm). Optically stimulated luminescence dating places the middle part of the inlet fill at 730–590 yr BP. The paleo-channel fill does not extend to the south and therefore is a separate relict feature that predates the historical Green Run Inlet. The paleo-tidal prism of the relict channel was at least 17 × 106 m3, which is comparable to many wave-dominated historical and active inlets along the Atlantic Seaboard. Findings in this study provide the geological background for coastal hazard assessments and offer a mesoscale example of inlet-facies architecture in wave-dominated barrier sequences identified in the rock record.
The role of substance use in young adult divorce

AIM: To test the relationships between various forms of substance use during marriage and subsequent divorce among US young adults. DESIGN: Three waves of survey data collected at approximately ages 18, 23 and 29 years were used. Using multivariate logistic regression and controlling for factors present at the two early waves, we tested for prospective relationships between substance use at the second assessment and divorce by the third. PARTICIPANTS: A longitudinal panel following adolescents on the west coast of the United States into young adulthood. The analytic subsample consisted of the 454 individuals currently married at the age 23 survey. MEASUREMENTS: Predictors were past-year frequency of alcohol intoxication, marijuana use and cigarette use, as well as any hard drug use in the past year. Covariates included substance use prior to marriage, demographic and socio-economic factors, marital discord and religiosity. FINDINGS: Controlling for other factors, more frequent alcohol intoxication during marriage was an independent predictor of later divorce. Frequency of marijuana use had a significant bivariate relationship with divorce that was not significant in the multivariate model. CONCLUSION: These data are consistent with the notion that alcohol intoxication is related causally to divorce among young adults. Language: en
Hematopoietic stem cell origin of human fibroblasts: Cell culture studies of female recipients of gender-mismatched stem cell transplantation and patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

Objective Our series of studies using transplantation of single hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) demonstrated that mouse fibroblasts/myofibroblasts are derived from HSCs. In order to determine the origin of human fibroblasts, we established a method for culturing fibroblasts from human peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells and studied fibroblasts from gender-mismatched HSC transplant recipients and patients with untreated Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Materials and Methods We cultured PB cells from three female subjects who showed near-complete hematopoietic reconstitution from transplantation of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor–mobilized male PB cells and examined the resulting fibroblasts using fluorescent in situ hybridization for Y chromosome. Because the mobilized PB cells may contain mesenchymal stem cells, we could not determine the HSC or mesenchymal stem cell origin of the fibroblasts seen in culture. To further document the HSC origin of human fibroblasts, we next examined fibroblasts from two patients with untreated CML, a known clonal disorder of HSCs. Results All cultured fibroblasts from female recipients of male cells showed the presence of Y chromosome, indicating the donor origin of fibroblasts. Cultured fibroblasts from the CML patients revealed the presence of BCR-ABL translocation. This demonstration provided strong evidence for the HSC origin of human fibroblasts because CML is a clonal disorder of the HSC. Conclusions These studies strongly suggest that human fibroblasts are derived from HSCs. In addition, the results suggest that fibrosis seen in patients with CML may be a part of the clonal process.
In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Wall Teichoic Acid Biosynthesis Inhibitors against Staphylococcus aureus Isolates

Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of invasive and superficial human infections, is increasingly antibiotic resistant, and is therefore the target for the development of new antimicrobials. Compounds (1835F03 and targocil) were recently shown to function as bacteriostatic inhibitors of wall teichoic acid (WTA) biosynthesis in S. aureus. To assess the value of targeting WTA biosynthesis in human infection, it was therefore of interest to verify the involvement of WTA in bacterial binding to human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) and to assess the activities of inhibitors of WTA biosynthesis against clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) from cases of human keratitis. The 1835F03 MIC90s were 8 μg/ml for MSSA keratitis isolates and >32 μg/ml for MRSA keratitis isolates. The MIC90 for the analog of 1835F03, targocil, was 2 μg/ml for both MRSA and MSSA. Targocil exhibited little toxicity at concentrations near the MIC, with increased toxicity occurring at higher concentrations and with longer exposure times. Targocil activity was moderately sensitive to the presence of serum, but it inhibited extracellular and intracellular bacteria in the presence of HCECs better than vancomycin. Targocil-resistant strains exhibited a significantly reduced ability to adhere to HCECs.
Height and Body Mass on the Mating Market Associations With Number of Sex Partners and Extra-Pair Sex Among Heterosexual Men and Women Aged 18–65

People with traits that are attractive on the mating market are better able to pursue their preferred mating strategy. Men who are relatively tall may be preferred by women because taller height is a cue to dominance, social status, access to resources, and heritable fitness, leading them to have more mating opportunities and sex partners. We examined height, education, age, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI) as predictors of sexual history among heterosexual men and women (N = 60,058). The linear and curvilinear associations between self-reported height and sex partner number were small for men when controlling for education, BMI, and ethnicity (linear β = .05; curvilinear β = −.03). The mean and median number of sex partners for men of different heights were: very short (9.4; 5), short (11.0; 7), average (11.7; 7), tall (12.0; 7), very tall (12.1; 7), and extremely tall (12.3; 7). Men who were “overweight” reported a higher mean and median number of sex partners than men with other body masses. The re...
Progressive shrinkage of the visual field during automated perimetry following traumatic brain injury Patients’ experience

Purpose: To establish a distinction between the visual field and the attentional field in patients with traumatic brain injury, and to elucidate the patients’ experience with attentional field defects. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical observations of 25 traumatic brain-injury patients. On the basis of the 30-degree visual field printout, we identified six patients with concentric contraction and analyzed their visual fields by comparing the two consecutive stages of the Octopus N1 screening and threshold program. The recorded fields were compared with the results of clinical confrontational field testing. Three of the six patients had been asked to describe their experience during automated perimetric evaluation. Results: The visual fields showed various degrees of contraction, some severe. All six showed progressive shrinking of the field during the perimetric evaluation procedure. However, no defects were apparent with confrontational field testing. False-negative catch trials ranged fr...
Sensing and signalling in response to oxygen deprivation in plants and other organisms.

• Aims and Scope All aerobic organisms require molecular di-oxygen (O2) for efficient production of ATP though oxidative phosphorylation. Cellular depletion of oxygen results in rapid molecular and physiological acclimation. The purpose of this review is to consider the processes of low oxygen sensing and response in diverse organisms, with special consideration of plant cells. • Conclusions The sensing of oxygen deprivation in bacteria, fungi, metazoa and plants involves multiple sensors and signal transduction pathways. Cellular responses result in a reprogramming of gene expression and metabolic processes that enhance transient survival and can enable long-term tolerance to sub-optimal oxygen levels. The mechanism of sensing can involve molecules that directly bind or react with oxygen (direct sensing), or recognition of altered cellular homeostasis (indirect sensing). The growing knowledge of the activation of genes in response to oxygen deprivation has provided additional information on the response and acclimation processes. Conservation of calcium fluxes and reactive oxygen species as second messengers in signal transduction pathways in metazoa and plants may reflect the elemental importance of rapid sensing of cellular restriction in oxygen by aerobic organisms.
Host innate immune responses are different for high and low pathogenicity influenza A virus subtypes (INM8P.443)

Different influenza A virus subtypes display different pathogenicity during host infection. It is our hypothesis that the host innate immune defense inversely correlates with the viral pathogenicity, i.e., the higher the viral pathogenicity the lower is the host innate immune defense and vice versa. In order to test our hypothesis, we monitored infection of normal human bronchial epithelial cells due to high pathogenicity H1N1 and low pathogenicity H3N2 subtypes during the early stages (0 to 24 hours) of infection. Specifically, we performed whole genome microarray analysis of the infected cells, identified the genes significantly altered in their expression, and validated the expression patterns of these genes by real-time qPCR. Of particular importance were the inducer and effector genes in the IFN-α/β pathway, a prominent innate immune response against viral infection. The prominent inducers include: (i) the OAS genes involved in the production of small viral RNA, (ii) the viral RNA sensors RIG-I, MDA-5, and TLR3, and (iii) the IRF transcription factors involved in the expression of IFN-α/β. The prominent effectors include: (i) ISG15, which activates RIG-I by ubiquitination, (ii) RSAD2 which inhibit the budding of influenza A virus, and (iii) GBPs, which inhibit viral replication. We validate our hypothesis by demonstrating that the release and expression of inducers and effectors of IFN-α/β are lower in high pathogenicity H1N1 than those in low pathogenicity H3N2. .
Scleral penetration of an unusually aggressive case of a retinal hemangioblastoma

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominantly inherited multisystem disorder characterized by the development of a variety of benign and malignant tumors. Ninety per cent of patients with VHL syndrome will manifest symptoms by age 65, but most already have clinically significant issues in their teens or twenties. Retinal vascularized lesions (hemangioblastomas) remain the most common manifestation of VHL disease, occurring in the majority of VHL patients, often as the first sign of the disease1. Patients affected by retinal hemangioblastomas present with loss of vision and may develop a painful secondary glaucoma with advanced lesions2. Since the risk of blindness is high in eyes with symptomatic retinal hemangioblastomas, diagnosis and treatment before symptoms develop is beneficial. Despite the considerable morbidity associated with these tumors, retinal and CNS hemangioblastomas are classified as benign tumors due to their generally limited local invasion and lack of metastatic spread3. Here we report an unusual case of a 56 year-old woman with known VHL disease and a history of bilateral retinal hemangioblastomas. This normally benign vascular tumor filled the vitreous cavity in one eye, and penetrated the scleral with extraocular extension, ultimately requiring enucleation.
The neuromechanical adaptations to Achilles tendinosis.

Key points Achilles tendinosis is a localized degenerative musculoskeletal disorder that develops over a long period of time and leads to a compliant human Achilles tendon. We demonstrate that the compliant Achilles tendon elicited a series of adaptations from different levels of the human movement control system, such as the muscle–tendon interaction, CNS control and other muscles in the lower leg. These results illustrate the human body's capacity to adapt to tendon pathology and provide the physiological basis for intervention or prevention strategies. Abstract Human movement is initiated, controlled and executed in a hierarchical system including the nervous system, muscle and tendon. If a component in the loop loses its integrity, the entire system has to adapt to that deficiency. Achilles tendon, when degenerated, exhibits lower stiffness. This local mechanical deficit may be compensated for by an alteration of motor commands from the CNS. These modulations in motor commands from the CNS may lead to altered activation of the agonist, synergist and antagonist muscles. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of tendon degeneration on its mechanical properties, the neuromechanical behaviour of the surrounding musculature and the existence of the CNS modulation accompanying tendinosis. We hypothesize that the degenerated tendon will lead to diminished tissue mechanical properties and protective muscle activation patterns, as well as an up-regulated descending drive from the CNS. Strong evidence, as reported in the present study, indicates that tendinotic tendons are more compliant compared to healthy tendons. This unilateral involvement affected the neuromuscular control on the involved side but not the non-involved side. The muscle–tendon unit on the tendinotic side exhibits a lowered temporal efficiency, which leads to altered CNS control. The altered CNS control is then expressed as an adapted muscle activation pattern in the lower leg. Taken together, the findings of the present study illustrate the co-ordinated multi-level adaptations to a mechanical lesion in a tendon caused by pathology.
Contrary Effects of the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Vandetanib on Constitutive and Flow-Stimulated Nitric Oxide Elaboration in Humans

Vascular endothelial growth factor regulates neoplastic angiogenesis through production of endothelium-derived NO. We performed a prospective evaluation of vascular function during treatment with vandetanib, a vascular endothelial growth receptor 2 and 3 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, to determine the effects of vascular endothelial growth receptor signal interruption on endothelial function in humans. Seventeen patients with stage IV breast cancer received dose-escalated vandetanib in combination with low-dose oral chemotherapy. We measured blood pressure, systemic nitrate/nitrite levels, and brachial artery vascular function. In vitro analyses of cultured endothelial cells were performed to determine the effect of vandetanib on NO production, akt 473 phosphorylation, and endothelial NO synthase protein content and membrane localization. Vandetanib treatment for 6 weeks significantly increased blood pressure, decreased resting brachial artery diameter, and decreased plasma systemic nitrate/nitrite levels compared with baseline. Flow-mediated vasodilation was preserved, and no change was noted in nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilation. In vitro, endothelial cell nitrite levels and akt 473 phosphorylation were reduced and vascular endothelial growth receptor 2 levels did not change, but endothelial NO synthase membrane concentration doubled. Vandetanib reduces constitutive NO production and increases blood pressure, yet flow-stimulated NO bioavailability was preserved. Changes in vascular function with tyrosine kinase inhibition are complex and require further study in humans.
Implications of alternative stochastic processes for investment in agricultural technologies

Considerable research and analyses exist concerning applying the option value to investment decisions. A model has been developed to examine the extent to which two alternative stochastic processes, geometric Brownian motion (GBM) and mean reversion, have impacts on investment decisions. The results show that the impacts of uncertainty and irreversibility on investment decisions differ under GBM and mean reversion. Studies that assume the returns evolve as GBM without drift would overestimate the value of the investment opportunity, while they would underestimate it if they assume the returns follow GBM with drift. The magnitude of error one could make by using GBM when the returns follow mean reversion is high.
Pyrolytic Characteristics of Polysilazanes

The behavior of three preceramic polysilazane variations during pyrolysis is discussed. These polymers consist of the monomelic units –[H2SiNCH3]-, -[CH3SiHNH]-, and -[H2SiNCH2CH3]-. Their differing pyrolytic performances are evaluated in relation to polymer structure, functional group, and pyrolytic environment.
Oralidad, latinización textual y convivencia de variantes ortográficas en iberorromance

AbstractEl presente trabajo propone que la pronunciacion de las formas ortograficas arromanzadas (p. ej., ovieron) que coexistian en textos ibericos compuestos en la Alta Edad Media (siglos X–XIII) con sus contrapartidas alatinadas (p. ej., habuerunt) se guiaba por la fonetica asociada a aquellas formas, no a estas ultimas. Siguiendo los estudios de Martins, Emiliano y Harris-Northall, el proceso de latinizacion mediante el cual se producian multiples versiones de un mismo documento provee evidencia que respalda la citada perspectiva. La coexistencia de formas ortograficas arromanzadas y sus respectivas variantes alatinadas en espanol y portugues antiguo me permite argumentar (1) que el principio logografico debio haber guiado, por lo menos parcialmente, la escritura iberorromanica, y (2) que la lengua que subyace a los textos ibericos de la epoca era el romance, no el latin. En el plano mas general, la evidencia que se presenta en el estudio apoya la teoria del monolinguismo elastico tardomedieval por so...
Appalachian Commercial Cleaners: Family Dynamics Versus the Business

This case is appropriate for students interested in becoming entrepreneurs, growing small businesses, and the decision making required. The case presents the conflict between what is in the best interests of the business and the pressure caused by family dynamics. A successful family business has as its chief operating officer a son-in-law who is an outstanding performer. When the daughter of the CEO files for divorce, the wife of the founder and mother of the daughter demands that the son-in-law be fired.
Republican and Provincial Constitution Making in Yugoslav Politics

The federal constitution in Yugoslavia has undergone frequent change since the adoption of the country's first postwar constitution in 1946. In the past thirty-five years, it has been extensively amended five times and completely rewritten twice. Some of these reforms merely codified already-existing practices, while others were used by the Communist party leadership to implement significant changes in the organization and operation of the political system. The changes adopted since 1966 have devolved substantial powers and responsibilities onto the constituent units of the federation--Yugoslavia's six republics and two autonomous provinces-in a process closely paralleling the devolution of power within the party from the central organs to the leaderships of the republican and provincial organizations. As a consequence, the constitutions of the republics and provinces have taken on increased importance in this period. This article will survey changes in these constitutions since 1966, identify the more important differences between them, suggest their political significance, and consider the implications of current changes for post-Tito Yugoslav politics.
Rapid turbidimetric detection of milk powder adulteration with plant proteins

Development of assays to screen milk for economically motivated adulteration with foreign proteins has been stalled since 2008 due to strong international reactions to the melamine poisoning incident in China and the surveillance emphasis placed on low molecular weight nitrogen-rich adulterants. New screening assays are still needed to detect high molecular weight foreign protein adulterants and characterize this understudied potential risk. A rapid turbidimetric method was developed to screen milk powder for adulteration with insoluble plant proteins. Milk powder samples spiked with 0.03–3% by weight of soy, pea, rice, and wheat protein isolates were extracted in 96-well plates, and resuspended pellet solution absorbance was measured. Limits of detection ranged from 100 to 200 μg, or 0.1–0.2% of the sample weight, and adulterant pellets were visually apparent even at ∼0.1%. Extraction recoveries ranged from 25 to 100%. Assay sensitivity and simplicity indicate that it would be ideally suitable to rapidly...
Confidential Inquiries into Cot Deaths in British Forces Germany

Confidential inquiries into cases of cot death in British Forces Germany were introduced in 1990. The information which has been collected so far suggests that the current attention to the position in which a baby is placed in a cot, the prevention of overheating and the avoidance of cigarette smoke, is not misplaced. Despite the considerable reduction in the cot death rate which has occurred in British Forces Germany since 1990 it is recommended that confidential inquiries should be continued so that possible opportunities to further reduce the risks are not missed.
Giant Resistive Switching via Control of Ferroelectric Charged Domain Walls

Controlled switching of resistivity in ferroelectric thin films is demonstrated by writing and erasing stable, nanoscale, strongly charged domain walls using an in situ transmission electron microscopy technique. The resistance can be read nondestructively and presents the largest off/on ratio (≈10(5) ) ever reported in room-temperature ferroelectric devices, opening new avenues for engineering ferroelectric thin-film devices.
Assay of ß-Glucosidase and Sphingomyelinase for Identification of Patients and Carriers of Gaucher’s and Niemann-Pick Diseases

Since the middle 1960’s the enzymatic defects in Gaucher and Niemann-Pick diseases have been recognized (1,2). Both autosomal recessive diseases are caused by a deficiency of a lysosomal enzyme required for the degradation of normal cell components. Gaucher disease presents clinically in at least three sub-types: adult form (non-neuropathic or Type 1), infantile form (acute neuropathic or Type 2) and juvenile form (subacute neuropathic or Type 3). Although the patients are quite different in clinical picture all appear to have a deficiency of glucosylceramide s-glucosidase activity in all tissues tested. Early studies on easily obtained tissues such as leukocytes and cultured skin fibroblasts demonstrated that diagnosis of affected patients was possible without the need for organ biopsy (3). Although much of the earliest research on the enzyme defect was done using radioactively labeled glucosylceramide, additional studies demonstrated that the synthetic s-glucoside, 4-methylumbelliferyl-s-D-glucoside,could be used for diagnosis and identification of carriers in easily obtained tissue samples (4,5). Through a measurement of the ability of a tissue sample to hydrolyze this synthetic derivative, a measure of the ability to hydrolyze the natural substrate should be interpreted. Although these methods are workable in some laboratories frequently problems arose in the interpretation of the values. Due to the limited number of laboratories having the natural substrate suitably labeled, it would be preferable to use the commercially available synthetic substrate, if a reliable method were developed. It is known that bile salt detergents are required in the in vitro assay for hydrolysis of some natural sphingolipids.
A double-blind comparison of 0.5% bupivacaine and 0.75% ropivacaine administered epidurally in humans.

In an attempt to compare equipotent doses of epidurally administered bupivacaine and ropivacaine, 44 healthy patients, aged 18-70 years, undergoing lower extremity orthopedic procedures were studied in a randomized, double-blind manner. Twenty-one patients received a single epidural injection of 20 ml 0.5% bupivacaine at the L23 or L34 interspace and 23 patients received 20 ml 0.75% ropivacaine in a similar manner. Onset of and recovery from sensory anesthesia and motor block were recorded. No significant differences were found between the two anesthetic groups except for time to two-segment regression. Maximum block height (median (range)) was T4 (T2-T8) and T5 (T2-L1) for bupivacaine and ropivacaine, respectively, and maximum motor block scores were 4 (2-6) and 4 (0-6) using the modified Bromage scale. Times to maximum height of sensory block for bupivacaine and ropivacaine, respectively, were 28 ± 12 and 28 ± 13 minutes; times to onset of block to T12 were 6 ± 4 and 9 ± 10 minutes; times to onset of maximum motor block were 32 ± 17 and 47 ± 29 minutes; times to two-segment regression were 2.7 ± 0.8 and 3.4 ± 1.0 hours (p
When Insult Is Added to Injury: Cross Talk between ILCs and Intestinal Epithelium in IBD

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by an impairment of the integrity of the mucosal epithelial barrier, which causes exacerbated inflammation of the intestine. The intestinal barrier is formed by different specialized epithelial cells, which separate the intestinal lumen from the lamina propria. In addition to its crucial role in protecting the body from invading pathogens, the intestinal epithelium contributes to intestinal homeostasis by its biochemical properties and communication to underlying immune cells. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a recently described population of lymphocytes that have been implicated in both mucosal homeostasis and inflammation. Recent findings indicate a critical feedback loop in which damaged epithelium activates these innate immune cells to restore epithelial barrier function. This review will focus on the signalling pathways between damaged epithelium and ILCs involved in repair of the epithelial barrier and tissue homeostasis and the relationship of these processes with the control of IBD.
Presentation of the Mineralogical Society of America Award for 1999 to Yingwei Fei

Mr. President, members of the Society, and guests: I am pleased to present my friend and colleague, Yingwei Fei, as this year’s recipient of the Mineralogical Society of America Award. Fei, as he is known to all of us, received his undergraduate degree from Zhenjiang University in China, spent two years at the well-known Institute of Geochemistry in Guiyang, came to the USA for further training, and was awarded a Ph.D. degree from CUNY in 1989, working with Surendra Saxena. He spent a year as a Predoctoral Fellow at the Geophysical Laboratory before becoming a Postdoctoral Fellow and then the Norton Senior Fellow supported by a grant from the Norton Company. Because his academic and research records were so good, the Geophysical Laboratory offered him, and he accepted, a staff position beginning July 1, 1996. Fei’s Ph.D. research focused on the theoretical (or computational) aspects of basic thermodynamic properties of minerals and fluids. He …
Promoting Financial Literacy and Latino Males’ Success at Community Colleges

ABSTRACTLatino males across the country enroll in community colleges with the purpose of obtaining an educational degree, which could lead to accomplishing professional and personal aspirations. Even if Latino male students enroll in post-secondary education, they continue to be disenfranchised, vanished, and often rejected through the higher education pipeline. Research regarding access to education shows that money matters to the success of Latino students. Through a metasynthesis, this practice briefly identifies that there is little to no empirical research conducted that explores how Latino male community college students elicit, engage, and explore financial literacy programs. This paper makes recommendations for post-secondary institutions, practitioners, and policymakers to promote Latino males’ success at community colleges.
SIRT1 enzymatically potentiates 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 signaling via vitamin D receptor deacetylation

The hormonal metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D), binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and promotes heterodimerization of VDR with a retinoid-X-receptor (RXR) to genomically regulate diverse cellular processes. Herein, it is revealed for the first time that VDR is post-translationally acetylated, and that VDR immunoprecipitated from human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells displays a dramatic decrease in acetylated receptor in the presence of 1,25D-ligand, sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) deacetylase, or the resveratrol activator of SIRT1. To elucidate the functional significance of VDR deacetylation, vitamin-d-responsive-element (VDRE)-based transcriptional assays were performed to determine if deacetylase overexpression affects VDR/VDRE-driven transcription. In HEK293 kidney and TE85 bone cells, co-transfection of low amounts (1-5ng) of a SIRT1-expression vector elicits a reproducible and statistically significant enhancement (1.3- to 2.6-fold) in transcription mediated by VDREs from the CYP3A4 and cyp24a1 genes, where the magnitude of response to 1,25D-ligand is 6- to 30-fold. Inhibition of SIRT1 via EX-527, or utilization of a SIRT1 loss-of-function mutant (H363Y), resulted in abrogation of SIRT1-mediated VDR potentiation. Studies with a novel, non-acetylatable VDR mutant (K413R) showed that the mutant VDR possesses enhanced responsiveness to 1,25D, in conjunction with reduced, but still significant, sensitivity to exogenous SIRT1, indicating that acetylation of lysine 413 is relevant, but that other acetylated residues in VDR contribute to modulation of its activity. We conclude that the acetylation of VDR comprises a negative feedback loop that attenuates 1,25D-VDR signaling. This regulatory loop is reversed by SIRT1-catalyzed deacetylation of VDR to amplify VDR signaling and 1,25D actions.
Transgender Youth Substance Use Disparities: Results From a Population-Based Sample

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine rates of substance use between transgender and nontransgender youth using a representative population-based sample and to examine mediating risk factors. Methods A statewide cross-sectional sample of California middle and high schools collected between 2013 and 2015. This representative sample of students in California included 335 transgender and 31,737 nontransgender youth. Using multivariate linear and logistic regression, we assessed differences between transgender and nontransgender youth in substance use behaviors related to alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, other illicit drugs, polysubstance use, and heavy episodic drinking. Substance use was assessed with lifetime use, age of onset, and past 30-day use for alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. Past 30-day use was also assessed for other illicit drugs and polysubstance use. Models were adjusted for demographics and risk factors including victimization, depressive symptoms, and perceived risk of substance use. Results The prevalence of substance use was 2.5–4 times higher for transgender youth compared with their nontransgender peers (depending on the substance). Transgender youth were also at greater risk for early age of onset and recent substance use than nontransgender youth. In addition, psychosocial risk factors related to victimization, depressive symptoms, and perceived risk of substance use partially mediated the relationship between gender identity and substance use. Conclusions Using data from the first representative study of youth to include a measure of gender identity, we show that transgender youth are at heightened risk for substance use compared with nontransgender peers. Future research is needed to identify the structural and psychosocial mechanisms that drive these disparities.
Impact of a single bubble rising near a wall on the wall-to-liquid heat flux

Abstract This paper presents a numerical study of the heat transfer improvement around a bubble rising near a wall in a shear flow. The Navier Stokes equations and energy equation are solved in a frame of reference following the bubble to examine the dependence of the wall to liquid heat transfer on flow patterns around the bubble. The front tracking method is used to track the interface of non-condensable gas bubbles, and the finite volume method is used to solve for temperature and momentum. Our simulations show an enhancement and a diminishment of heat transfer in the downstream and upstream regions of the bubble, respectively. The enhancement and reduction of heat transfer are attributed to the reversal of flow that occurs near the wall due to the presence of a bubble. The heat transfer rate non-monotonically varies with the dimensionless shear rate γ ‾ = γ d g . In the range of 0.3 ⩽ γ ‾ ≤ 2.25 , the heat transfer rate first increases, attains a maximum value and then decreases. The optimum γ ‾ increases as the Archimedes number is increased. The heat transfer rate is found to decrease as the Laplace number is increased. The flow reversal near the wall is characterized by two parameters, namely the ‘reversal height’ and ‘reversal width’. A control volume analysis is performed for a simplified 2 D version of the problem in order to relate heat transfer enhancement to the reversal height and width. The functional dependence of heat transfer enhancement on reversal height and width from our 3 D simulations match the result of the control volume analysis. The analytical solution of an inviscid shear flow over a cylinder is used for qualitative insights into flow reversal mechanism. Our simulations of transient heat transfer showed that the fractional improvement in heat transfer compared to a single phase flow attains a constant value after a certain amount of time. Finally, we report the results of heat transfer enhancement due of an array of bubbles rising near a wall.
Rare Thymoma Metastases to the Spine: Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Background We report a series of 3 cases of metastatic thymoma to the spine with spinal cord compression. An extensive literature review of thymic metastases to the spine was completed to provide a comprehensive appraisal of current prognostic indicators and potential treatment algorithms to help guide clinicians in treatment management. Case Descriptions Between 2000 and 2017, 3 patients received diagnoses of thymic metastases to the spine at our institution. Metastasis presentation occurred from 2 to 8 years after the initial diagnosis with thymic cancer. All 3 patients presented with signs and symptoms of spinal cord/cauda equina compression, and underwent surgical intervention. Postoperative treatments varied among all 3 patients, 1 receiving chemotherapy, another undergoing radiation, and the third having had no further treatment because of extensive systemic disease. Conclusions Upon review of the literature, 16 case reports/series described 28 total patients with spine metastases secondary to thymoma/thymic carcinoma. The presentations varied widely, including age, neurologic deficits, time from initial diagnosis to metastasis, and histologic grading. The only widely accepted prognostic factor is completeness of tumor resection, whereas clinical staging, histologic type, or both may also have prognostic value. Thus, gross total resection and spinal decompression should be prioritized in cases of surgical intervention. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are generally recommended. However, given the lack of standardized treatment algorithms, individualized regimens should be formulated on a case-specific basis.
OWA Aggregation on an Interval Argument

Abstract We briefly describe the OWA operator. We provide an extension of the OWA operator to the case in which our argument is a continuous interval rather then a finite set of values. We look at some examples of this type of aggregation. We consider the extension of the continuous interval argument OWA operator to the more general case in which the argument values have importance weights. We use this to introduce the idea of an operative value associated with a random variable.
Optimized path planning for soft tissue resection via laser vaporization

Robotic and robotic-assisted surgeries are becoming more prevalent with the promise of improving surgical outcomes through increased precision, reduced operating times, and minimally invasive procedures. The handheld laser scalpel in neurosurgery has been shown to provide a more gentle approach to tissue manipulation on or near critical structures over classical tooling, though difficulties of control have prevented large scale adoption of the tool. This paper presents a novel approach to generating a cutting path for the volumetric resection of tissue using a computer-guided laser scalpel. A soft tissue ablation simulator is developed and used in conjunction with an optimization routine to select parameters which maximize the total resection of target tissue while minimizing the damage to surrounding tissue. The simulator predicts the ablative properties of tissue from an interrogation cut for tuning and simulates the removal of a tumorous tissue embedded on the surface of healthy tissue using a laser scalpel. We demonstrate the ability to control depth and smoothness of cut using genetic algorithms to optimize the ablation parameters and cutting path. The laser power level, cutting rate and spacing between cuts are optimized over multiple surface cuts to achieve the desired resection volumes.
CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing and Transcriptional Control in Yarrowia lipolytica

The discovery and adaptation of RNA-guided nucleases has resulted in the rapid development of efficient, scalable, and easily accessible synthetic biology tools for targeted genome editing and transcriptional control. In these systems, for example CRISPR-Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes, a protein with nuclease activity is targeted to a specific nucleotide sequence by a short RNA molecule, whereupon binding it cleaves the targeted nucleotide strand. To extend this genome-editing ability to the industrially important oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, we developed a set of easily usable and effective CRISPR-Cas9 episomal vectors. In this protocols chapter, we first present a method by which arbitrary protein-coding genes can be disrupted via indel formation after CRISPR-Cas9 targeting. A second method demonstrates how the same CRISPR-Cas9 system can be used to induce markerless gene cassette integration into the genome by inducing homologous recombination after DNA cleavage by Cas9. Finally, we describe how a catalytically inactive form of Cas9 fused to a transcriptional repressor can be used to control transcription of native genes in Y. lipolytica. The CRISPR-Cas9 tools and strategies described here greatly increase the types of genome editing and transcriptional control that can be achieved in Y. lipolytica, and promise to facilitate more advanced engineering of this important oleaginous host.
Supervised Feature Selection Method for High-Dimensional Data Classification in Photo-Thermal Infrared Imaging with Limited Training Data

We study the kernel based SVM algorithm with variable models to adapt to the high-dimensional but relatively small samples for remote explosive detection on photo-thermal infrared imaging spectroscopy (PT-IRIS) classification. The response plot, predicted vs. actual plot, and residuals plot of the linear, quadratic, cubic, and coarse Gaussian SVM are demonstrated. In addition, a comprehensive comparison of classification performance of these SVM models is conducted in terms of root mean square error, R-squared, mean squared error, and mean absolute error. The excellent experimental results demonstrated that the kernel based SVM models provide a very promising feature selection solution to high-dimensional data sets with limited training samples.
Food intake of infants attending well-baby clinics in Honolulu.

Food intakes of nearly all of fifty-two infants, two to nine months of age, met at least two-thirds of the recommended allowances for nutrients except for iron. Sodium intakes were, for the most part, above the requirement for growth and for some infants approached or exceeded suggested maximum levels. The possible relationship of sodium intake in infancy to hypertension in later life is discussed.
Residents' role in immunizing adults: rationale, opportunity, obstacles, and strategies.

Because they treat many patients vulnerable to vaccine-preventable infections due to age-related declining immunity, chronic illnesses, or immunosuppressive treatments, medical residents are well placed to improve their patients' health by vaccinating them.