cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the kinetics of cycling of the transferrin receptor in the presence or absence of bound diferric transferrin.

The kinetics of cycling of the transferrin receptor in A431 human epidermoid-carcinoma cells was examined in the presence or absence of bound diferric transferrin. In order to investigate the properties of the receptor in the absence of transferrin, the cells were maintained in defined medium without transferrin. It was demonstrated that Fab fragments of a monoclonal anti-(transferrin receptor) antibody (OKT9) did not alter the binding of diferric 125I-transferrin to the receptor or change the accumulation of [59Fe]diferric transferrin by cells. OKT9 125I-Fab fragments were prepared and used as a probe for the function of the receptor. The first-order rate constants for endocytosis (0.16 +/- 0.02 min-1) and exocytosis (0.056 +/- 0.003 min-1) were found to be significantly lower for control cells than the corresponding rate constants for endocytosis (0.22 +/- 0.02 min-1) and exocytosis (0.065 +/- 0.004 min-1) measured for cells incubated with 1 microM-diferric transferrin (mean +/- S.D., n = 3). The cycling of the transferrin receptor is therefore regulated by diferric transferrin via an increase in both the rate of endocytosis and exocytosis. Examination of the accumulation of OKT9 125I-Fab fragments indicated that diferric transferrin caused a marked decrease in the amount of internalized 125I-Fab fragments associated with the cells after 60 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. Diferric transferrin therefore increases the efficiency of the release of internalized 125I-Fab fragments compared with cells incubated without diferric transferrin. These data indicate that transferrin regulates the sorting of the transferrin receptor at the cell surface and within endosomal membrane compartments.
Environmental management: A Study of Vietnamese Hotels

Abstract The objective of this study was to identify factors influencing the intentions of Vietnamese hotel businesses to adopt environmentally friendly practices. This was approached from the perspective of hotel managers within the framework of the diffusion of innovations theory. Participants were asked to evaluate the potential advantages and barriers to the adoption of selected sustainable tourism practices and to make an adoption/rejection decision based on their judgment. Innovation characteristics were the most influential factors, being highly correlated with the likelihood of adoption. External environment characteristics were also highly correlated with intention to adopt to environmentally friendly frameworks. Organizational characteristics had a weaker relationship with the likelihood of adoption, except for the attitude toward change/level of risk-taking.
Inhibition of Human Lymphocyte Transformation by Human α-fetoprotein (HAFP): Studies on the Mode of HAFP Action and the Role of HAFP Polymorphism

To explain the mechanism of inhibition of human lymphocyte transformation by human alpha-fetoprotein (HAFP), we sought for, and failed to find, evidence of physical association between HAFP and phytomitogens or antihuman thymocyte antiserum. In addition, 20–40 fold increases in mitogen dose do not reverse the inhibition of lymphocyte transformation by a constant dose of HAFP. The presence of HAFP does not interfere with the attachment of 125I-labelled phytohemagglutinin to the lymphocyte surface. Two-dimensional crossed immunoelectrophoresis of HAFP isolated from the body fluids of hepatoma patients demonstrates three charged species of HAFP designated as HAFP-1 (the most cathodal), HAFP-2, and HAFP-3 (the most anodal). The potency of HAFP isolates in inhibiting lymphocyte transformation can be positively correlated with the ratio HAFP-3: HAFP-1 in each preparation. Passage of HAFP isolates over CM-cellulose allows the isolation of two HAFP fractions, one at pH 4.95, and the other at pH 5.24. The pH 4.95 CM-cellulose isolate is enriched in the more electronegative HAFP species (HAFP-3) and is, on the average, two times more potent than the pH 5.24 CM-cellulose HAFP isolate. The latter, by comparison with native HAFP, is enriched in the more electropositive HAFP species (HAFP-1). The CM-cellulose HAFP isolates are identical in sialic acid content. We have isolated HAFP from the serum, ascitic fluid, and saline extract of tumor from a single hepatoma patient, and from an homogenate of fetal livers. When tested for their capacity to inhibit human lymphocyte transformation in vitro, tumor and fetal liver HAFP were found to be extremely potent; serum HAFP had intermediate potency, and ascitic fluid HAFP was the least potent. Analysis of these HAFP isolates by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels containing 8 M urea revealed at least 6 molecular HAFP variants. The proportion of one of these variants, termed HAFP-3a, in each isolate was correlated with the immunosuppressive potency of the isolate. The sialic acid content of the various HAFP isolates did not vary significantly. Our data suggest that a post-synthetic modification of HAFP occurs, which modulates its immunosuppressive potency.
Variation in Bladder Cancer Spending: A Global Call to Action

In this month’s issue of European Urology, Leal and colleagues [ an elegant analysis of the economic implication of bladder cancer across the European Union (EU) [1]. The investigators [ the magnitude of health care spending attributable to bladder cancer in the EU and, importantly, [ significant geographic variation in both direct and informal bladder cancer costs. Interestingly, and perhaps not surprisingly, [ [ identified no observed relationship between bladder cancer spending and mortality. Empirical evaluation of differences in disease-specific spending requires careful evaluation of the two primary components of cost, namely, price and quantity. The authors appropriately [ for the significant observed variation in the price of health care services among EU nations. Nonetheless, whether standard approaches to costof-living adjustment (COLA) capture the burden and complexity of health price variation among EU nations remains unknown. Indeed, the degree of variation in cost per prevalent bladder cancer case was found to be 5-fold different between the highest and lowest spending countries. Although residual differences in price among EU nations may account for some of the authors’ findings, there is little question that the key driver behind the dramatic observed cost variation is difference in the quantity of care delivered to bladder cancer populations throughout Europe. Geographic variation in the delivery of health care services has been well studied. Work by Wennberg and Fisher, detailing widespread geographic variation in a variety of health care services, has served as a catalyst for health care reform in the United States [2–4]. [ studies evaluating small variation in surgical care by area identified differences in absolute rates of common procedures including hernia repair, prostatectomy, hysterectomy, and appendectomy among the United States, England, and Norway; interestingly, the degree of variation within individual countries was found to be remarkably similar [2]. Variation in health care spending might be considered acceptable if one observed a direct relationship between spending and quality[ [ relationship [ [ [ Indeed, Fisher and colleagues evaluated the relationship between health care spending and quality of care among cohorts of individuals receiving preventive care, treatment for acute myocardial infarction, and treatment for hip fracture. Patients treated in higher spending regions were [ universally less likely to receive guideline-concordant health care and were more likely to die than those treated in lower spending regions [3,4].
Abstract 12311: Side Branch Angle Influences the Neointimal Coverage of Drug-Eluting Stent in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study

Background: Stent implantation for coronary bifurcation is intrinsically accompanied with inappropriate strut apposition around side branch (SB), which has potential risk for future development of stent thrombosis. Previous experimental studies indicated that side branch angle (SBA) influences the local flow turbulence and wall shear stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between SBA and the neointimal coverage of drug-eluting stent (DES) which were implanted in coronary bifurcation lesions. Methods: Forty-seven bifurcation lesions treated with DES were evaluated with FD-OCT in 39 patients (mean age; 65.7±13.9 y.o) at follow-up angiography. Each lesions were divided into the bifurcation lesions without kissing balloon technique (KBT) after stent implantation (non-KBT group; 28 lesions) and those with KBT (KBT group; 19 lesions). Neointimal coverage was assessed based on cross-sectional OCT images containing SB at 0.4mm interval, and separately evaluated in terms of jailing struts over the SB ostium (SO) and non-jailing struts attaching to the vessel wall (VW). BA was measured on the longitudinal reconstruction images of FD-OCT before stent implantation. Incidence of uncovered struts and neointimal thickness were measured. Results: In non-KBT group, the percentage of uncovered struts was significantly higher in lesions with SBA≦60°compared with those with SBA>60°at both SO and VW region (56.9±39.8% vs. 25.6±26.8%, p 60°at both SO and VW region (36.7±35.3% vs. 36.6±34.8%; 10.9±10.4% vs. 8.6±12.7%, respectively) and no correlation was found between SBA and the percentage of uncovered struts at both SO and VW region. Conclusions: The neointimal coverage of DES was affected by in bifurcation lesion without KBT, but is not affected in bifurcation lesion with KBT. KBT has potential benefit for neointimal coverage of DES at coronary bifurcation lesion with narrow SBA.
α-Synuclein-induced lysosomal dysfunction occurs through disruptions in protein trafficking in human midbrain synucleinopathy models.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of protein aggregates comprised of α-synuclein (α-syn). A major barrier in treatment discovery for PD is the lack of identifiable therapeutic pathways capable of reducing aggregates in human neuronal model systems. Mutations in key components of protein trafficking and cellular degradation machinery represent important risk factors for PD; however, their precise role in disease progression and interaction with α-syn remains unclear. Here, we find that α-syn accumulation reduced lysosomal degradation capacity in human midbrain dopamine models of synucleinopathies through disrupting hydrolase trafficking. Accumulation of α-syn at the cell body resulted in aberrant association with cis-Golgi–tethering factor GM130 and disrupted the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi localization of rab1a, a key mediator of vesicular transport. Overexpression of rab1a restored Golgi structure, improved hydrolase trafficking and activity, and reduced pathological α-syn in patient neurons. Our work suggests that enhancement of lysosomal hydrolase trafficking may prove beneficial in synucleinopathies and indicates that human midbrain disease models may be useful for identifying critical therapeutic pathways in PD and related disorders.
A New Year of Catalysts

Welcome to a new year of Catalysts, an international, peer-reviewed open access journal. [...]
Growth Hormone Treatment in Growth Retarded Children with End Stage Renal Failure: Effect on Free/Dissociable IGF-I Levels

Growth retardation in children with endstage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with normal to slightly low concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and increased concentrations of IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) in serum. Consequently, IGF-I bioactivity is reduced in serum from uremic patients presumably due to a decrease in the concentration of free IGF-I. Improvement of linear growth with growth hormone (GH) treatment of uremic children is thought to be due to increased IGF-I/IGFBP ratio, thus resulting in increased free IGF-I levels during treatment. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether free/dissociable IGF-I levels are in fact low in uremic children and whether increased growth velocity during GH treatment is associated with an increase in the free IGF-I concentration. Serum total and free/dissociable IGF-I concentrations were measured in 5 children with ESRD before and during treatment with GH, and in control children matched for age, pubertal status, and body mass index. Height velocity increased from 3.7 +/- 1.0 cm/yr to 6.5 +/- 1.2 cm/yr with an increment in height SDS at the end of the first year of GH treatment. Free/dissociable IGF-I concentrations tended to be lower in uremic children compared to control children (3.0 +/- 0.3 vs 7.3 +/- 2.1 micrograms/l, respectively). During GH treatment, free/dissociable IGF-I levels increased significantly to 8.5 +/- 1.0 micrograms/l at 3 months and 6.9 +/- 1.4 micrograms/l at 6-24 months, p < 0.05 compared to pretreatment. Total IGF-I levels were 243 +/- 18 micrograms/l in children with ESRD before treatment and these values also increased during GH treatment (740 +/- 114 micrograms/l at 3 months and 442 +/- 44 micrograms/l at 6-24 months, p < 0.05, compared to pretreatment). Total IGF-I concentration in the control group was 439 +/- 114 micrograms/l. These results support the hypothesis that growth retardation in children with chronic renal failure is associated with a reduction in the concentration of free, biologically available IGF-I, and that increased growth velocity during GH treatment of these children is associated with restoration of free IGF-I concentrations.
Abstract 4280: Genome-wide expression and methylation analysis in CD31+ cells from African American and Caucasian American benign and malignant prostate tissue

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Prostate cancer exhibits striking racial disparity; African American (AA) men have a markedly higher risk of being diagnosed and of dying of prostate cancer compared to Caucasian American (CA) men. This disparity may be due to biologic differences associated with race or to sociologic factors, such as economic disparities or differences in access to care or interactions of all these factors. Differences in tumor gene expression and methylation might be associated with the poorer prognosis seen among AA men and may contribute to better understanding of these disparities and the delineation of new therapeutic targets. In order to study the effect of the tumor microenvironment on endothelial cells found in tissue from AA and CA patients with prostate cancer, we first established a method for the isolation of the endothelial cells from malignant and benign prostate tissue obtained at prostatectomy. We then conducted a pilot study of transcriptome and methylome analysis in 5 pairs of CD31+ endothelial cells isolated from paired samples of benign and malignant tissue from AA and CA patients with prostate cancer. We have identified 2,096 and 920 differentially expressed transcripts for the tumor versus normal in AA and CA group, respectively. However, only 140 transcripts are shared. Furthermore, a total of 2,248 transcripts show different level of expression change for tumor versus normal in samples with AA origin compared to samples with CA origin. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in the same endothelial samples have identified 18,093 differentially methylated loci in AA group, and 12,372 differentially methylated loci in CA group. Only a total of 1,324 loci are shared. Remarkably, there are a total of 20,164 loci with different level of methylation change for tumor versus normal in AA group compared to CA group. Integrative analysis of transcriptome and methylatome data showed that a large percentage of differentially expressed genes have loci whose methylation change is inversely correlated with gene expression change, and vice versa. Taken together, our pilot data, while preliminary, suggest the possibility that there is a potential racial difference in terms of differential expression and methylation between CA and AA endothelial cell populations. Future large studies are warranted to confirm our findings and further explore the role of race disparity in the delineation of novel therapeutic targets to be utilized clinically for prostate cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4280. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4280
Predictive Value of Delayed-enhancement Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Measuring the Improvement of Cardiac Function in Patients With Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging(DE-MRI) for measuring the improvement of cardiac function in patients with coronary artery disease(CAD) combining heart failure(HF) after coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG).Methods: A total of 35 CAD patients combining HF were examined by DE-MRI before receiving CABG, and they were re-examined at 6 months after CABG by DE-MRI and computed tomography angiography(CTA) in our hospital from 2009-11 to 2011-11 to evaluate the improvement of cardiac function and the graft patency.Results: There were 31 patients enrolled for analysis, 4 excluded for graft failure. 22 patients had the global functional improvement and 9 remained the same. Univariate analyses demonstrated that spatial extent, the number of viable segments and scar segments, DE score were the independent risk factors affecting the improvement of cardiacfunction. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the number of scar segments was the only independent predictor for global functional improvement(OR=6.097, 95% CI 1.066–34.866, P =0.042). The receiver operator characteristic analysis showed that the number of scar segments≤4 may effectively predict the global functional recovery with a sensitivity and specificity of 95.5% and 88.9%, respectively. Conclusion: The number of scar segments based on DE-MRI detection for predicting the improvement of cardiac function in CAD patients with HF after CABG needs further investigation in large group of patients.
Divisions Dissected: A Deconstruction of Boston College's "Asian Bubble"

Asian American discrimination is often associated with the concept of the “Asian Bubb le.” This discrimination is no different in the Boston College (BC) community than in much of society at large. A serious consideration of the Asian Bubb le and the impact of this lababel on the asian community is necessary to obtain a full understanding of this complex issue and facilitate the search for a permanent solution. This research project is babased upon a survey of 236 BC students that was conducted to gauge respondent perceptions of the Asian community, involvements on campus, and connections with Asian American identity. results of the study reveal that students agree ababout the existence of negative perceptions of the Asian community. Nevertheless, the study also shows that the Asian community is not as exclusive as many perceive it to be, which offers hope for further research and action in the future.
A Social Network Perspective of Information Systems Project Management

This study looks at the social network that exists during information systems development (ISD). By introducing a social network perspective of information systems project management, social network analysis and its concepts of embeddedness, structural holes, and centrality can be used to reveal organizational phenomena that might otherwise be overlooked. In this study we analyze the social network from a successful systems development project in a health care setting, looking particularly at the emergence and role of change agents. The results of this research suggest that the ISD transactions are embedded in the social relations, implying that social relations and ISD must be managed jointly to achieve a successful (system solution) project. Social network analysis allows simultaneously measuring the ISD project transactions and the social relationships that tie them together, providing a new perspective that can be used to build an effective project management infrastructure.
Measurements of Lineal Energy Spectra for Neutron Capture Therapy Using a Boron Doped Let Chamber

Preclinical studies for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) using epithermal neutrons are ongoing at several laboratories. The absorbed dose in tumor cells depends on the boron concentration, thermal neutron flux at depth, size of the cell, plus fast neutron and gamma contamination in the epithermal beam. Monte Carlo computer simulations can estimate the various dose components, but dosimetry and treatment planning for BNCT present unique difficulties. Dosimetry is complicated by the admixture of thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons, plus gamma rays; and the array of secondary high linear energy transfer (LET) particles produced within the patient from neutron interactions. Absorbed dose and radiation quality will be difficult to determine, and microdosimetry may be a viable technique for determining these quantities. Only one set of microdosimetric data for BNCT has previously been reportedl. Spectra were measured in air for an epithermal beam, using a tissue equivalent (TE) proportional counter to assess the effects of beam filter designs. We report here the first set of in phantom microdosimetric measurements using paired TE and TE+boron chambers on an epithermal beam. Such measurements permit assessment of the dose enhancement factor, and lineal energy distributions of the boron capture reaction.
Anionic Liposomes Inhibit Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Infectivity in CD4+ A3.01 and H9 Cells:

Immunodeficiency viruses undergo fusion with liposomes containing anionic phospholipids (Larsen et al., 1990). We have investigated the effect of liposomes composed of cardiolipin, phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylinositol, on the infectivity of three strains of HIV-1 in A3.01 and H9 cells, measured by p24 (gag) production in the medium. The infectivity of HIV-1 in A3.01 or H9 cells was inhibited by the presence of cardiolipin liposomes during a 2 h infection period, with IC 50 's of 23.0, 4.8, and 5.0 μM phospholipid, respectively, for the different strains. Liposomes composed of phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylinositol were ineffective under similar conditions. However, prolonged pre-incubation of the virus with these liposomes also inhibited infectivity
Antebellum Banking: 1781–1863

The economy, as a whole, experienced healthy growth as well as substantial structural change between 1781 and the onset of the Civil War. In general terms, real gross national product (RGNP) grew at rather fecund levels throughout this period thereby continuing a trend started in the earliest colonial times (Figure A.1).1 Foreign trade drove most of the growth prior to the early nineteenth century though the Embargo of 1807 ended, temporarily, most exporting. Between 1807 and 1837, production shifted away from home and small shops filled with skilled artisans in favor of the factory which certainly altered the nature of work and life for many Americans (Figure A.2). After 1837 and prior to the Civil War, the U.S. economy experienced even more robust RGNP growth and further structural change. Indeed, RGNP growth averaged approximately five percent during this period and per capital RGNP grew, on average, at a rate of 1.8 percent.2 Industrial and commercial growth comprised much of this expanded production. As evidence, consider that in 1839, 37 percent of RGNP production was in industry, trade, or transportation but 20 years later 46 percent of all production fell under the industry classification.3 Much of this economic growth may be traced to a time of intense entrepreneurial spirit. While most people worked the land, there was an increasing need and interest in improving the production process and its output.
Optimal sampling strategies for multiscale models with application to network traffic estimation

The paper considers the problem of determining which set of 2/sup p/ leaf nodes on a binary multiscale tree model of depth N (N < p) gives the best linear minimum mean-squared estimator of the tree root. We find that the best-case and worst-case sampling choices depend on the correlation structure of the tree. This problem arises in Internet traffic estimation, where the goal is to estimate the average traffic rate on a network path based on a limited number of traffic samples.
Lewis Clarke and the "Color" of Disability: The Past and Future of Black Disability Studies

This article analyzes Lewis Clarke's 1845 slave narrative, the Narrative of the Sufferings of Lewis Clarke , for what it can offer contemporary theorizing at the intersection of disability and race. Clarke's text, I suggest, "crips" the genre of the slave narrative, replacing abolitionist spectacle with the knowledge gained from a number of temporary or otherwise ambiguous disability positions. In doing so, Clarke's Narrative both expands the parameters of disability as often conceived within disability studies and offers a reconfiguration of the meaning of disability for critical race studies.
Adapting Latent Profile Analysis to Take Into Account Measurement Noninvariance

Measurement invariance has been explored extensively in models for continuous latent variables, but has been studied less systematically in models for categorical latent variables, including latent...
What Norm of Assertion

I argue that the debates over which norm constitutes assertion can be abandoned by challenging the three main motivations for a constitutive norm. The first motivation is the alleged analogy between language and games. The second motivation is the intuition that some assertions are worthy of criticism. The third is the discursive responsibilities incurred by asserting. I demonstrate that none of these offer good reasons to believe in a constitutive norm of assertion, as such a norm is understood in the literature. Others who have made similar arguments conclude that assertion does not exist at all—that there is no such thing as assertion. I disagree: we do not have to relinquish the category of assertion just because it is not normatively constituted. There are alternative ways to understand and individuate assertion that do not rely on a constitutive norm.
Crm1 overexpression associates with cervical cancer and is critical for cell survival and proliferation.

A74 Changes in gene expression patterns are one of the major biological factors driving the development of cancer. We identified increased expression levels of the nuclear transport proteins, crm1 (exportin 1), importin α1 (karyopherin α2), importin β1 (karyopherin β1), and ran , in cervical cancers compared to normal tissue by expression profile analysis. qRT-PCR confirmed significantly higher expression of these genes in cervical cancer specimens, and the upregulation of the Crm1 protein was verified by Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses. Increased Crm1 expression appears to be an early event in the development of cervical cancer since dysplasias including low-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions (LSIL) and high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions (HSIL) exhibited higher levels compared to normal tissue. Elevated Crm1 expression was also detected in cervical cancer cell lines compared to normal cervical epithelial primary cells supporting our finding that high Crm1 levels associates with cervical cancer. Crm1 activity appeared critical for cancer cell survival since inhibition of its activity with Leptomycin B had an enhanced cytotoxic effect on cervical cancer cells compared to normal cells. Moreover, Crm1 inhibition using siRNA resulted in a significant reduction in cell proliferation that was accompanied by nuclear accumulation of p53 and the induction of apoptosis. Our data suggests that nuclear transport proteins such as Crm1 may serve as markers of cervical carcinoma and have functional relevance to the disease. It is thus feasible that targeted disruption of different components of the nuclear transport protein family may be of benefit in the treatment of cancer.
Wide Field Specular Microscopy: Clinical and Research Applications

Through the use of a scanning mirror system, the field of view has been expanded to as much as 0.9 mm in diameter. Both contact and non-contact specular microscopy are possible, each having advantages. In a research application, wound healing in rabbit endothelium is documented by time lapse photography. The study demonstrates the capability to return to an area of interest provided there is a landmark. Clinical applications and advantages over conventional specular microscopy are discussed.
Counterterrorism Policies and Institutions in Northern Europe and the Baltic States

Statistically, the countries of Northern Europe and the Baltic States have been among the least likely in the Western world to experience terrorism. However in recent years terrorist acts and increased concerns related to both domestic and international terrorism have manifested throughout much of the region. Whereas in much of Europe domestic terrorism has historically stemmed from separatist groups or political militants, most domestic terrorist attacks in Northern Europe have been lone-wolf style attacks perpetrated by mentally unstable persons. Militant Islam is the greatest international concern at present. Most immigrants to the region are Muslims from war-torn Mideast nations in which militant Islamist groups exercise influence. The Baltic States are primarily concerned with hybrid conflict including cyber-attacks related to tensions with Russia. In recent years a range of counterterrorism measures have been implemented throughout the region including improvements in security and intelligence capabilities, expansion of codified policies and increased multilateral cooperation.
RESONANT RESPONSE OF A DRIVEN ELASTIC ROD

The vibratory response of a driven elastic rod was used in earlier investigations to measure the complex viscoelastic modulus of the material. The transfer function was obtained as a function of frequency and rod length; in terms of these variables, it exhibits resonances. We shall, following the developments of Fiorito, Madigosky, and Uberall, represent the transfer function as a meromorphic function of the frequency with complex poles, in order to isolate the individual resonances.
Realizing Origami Mechanisms From Metal Sheets

Consideration of a product’s manufacturability is a vital aspect of product design. When considering manufacturability of panels for origami-adapted products, there are trade-offs between panel design approaches as well as thickness-accommodation techniques. The use of bent sheet metal for panels shows promise as a panel design approach that mitigates several of these trade-offs. This paper describes a process that can be employed to use sheet metal in designs of origami-adapted mechanisms that utilize specific thickness-accommodation techniques. The process is demonstrated for a square-twist mechanism designed using the hinge shift technique for accommodating thickness in origami patterns. A Miura-ori mechanism is also shown in sheet metal. The characteristics of these bent panel approaches are discussed and compared to other approaches for designing panels for manufacturing. The use of bent sheet metal panels allows for mitigation of several trade-offs and shows the applicability of origami-adapted design to sheet metal.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Improving power system neural network construction using modal analysis

Historically, the structure of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been defined through trial-and-error or excessive computation leading to reduced accuracy and increased training time, respectively. For many disciplines, especially power systems, models must both be accurate and support fast computations in order to be viable for large-scale use. These requirements often render poorly structured ANNs useless. However, using power system behavioral knowledge to create an ANN structure could provide a near best case estimate for a model that maximizes accuracy and minimizes computational run-time. This paper considers the relationship between the dominant modes of a power system and the hidden neurons (units) in an ANN. In this study, several ANNs were created with varying number of neurons. These ANNs were used to predict rotor angle response to faults at generator buses that were cleared at varying times and compared with actual responses, as obtained through simulation. The number of neurons used include the hypothesized dominant mode number and five known heuristic estimates. The resultant method is a domain-dependent algorithm to structure an ANN without relying on trial-and-error or additional unnecessary computation time for power system models.
Cell-Seeded Adhesive Biomaterial for Repair of Annulus Fibrosus Defects in Intervertebral Discs.

Defects in the annulus fibrosus (AF) of intervertebral discs allow nucleus pulposus tissue to herniate causing painful disability. Microdiscectomy procedures remove herniated tissue fragments, but ...
Relationship Status and Sexual Behaviors in Post-Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Affected Urban Young Women: A Sub-Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Adolescent and young adult women disproportionately experience Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) as a complication of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). This study seeks to understand the relationship context, changes in sexual behavior, and impact of partner sexual behavior on recurrent STI diagnoses at 3-months post-diagnosis. Adolescents and young adult women 13-25 were recruited from an outpatient disposition from an outpatient clinic, and pediatric and adult emergency rooms. Participants received treatment at baseline and follow-up at 2-weeks, 1-month and 3-month post-diagnosis, including interviews about personal and partner sexual behaviors and STI screening (n = 94). At the 2-week interview, 53% of participants (50/94) believed they could acquire an STI from their current partner if they did not use a condom. However, at 3-month follow-up only 35% reported condom usage at last sex. At 3-month follow-up, 55% (50/91) of participants were still in a sexual relationship with the previously reported partner and 38% of participants who reported they could get an STI from their partner were diagnosed with an STI; compared with 25% of participants who predicted that they could not get an STI (OR 1.85; 95% CI: 0.67-5.30). There was no association between maintaining the same partner and having an STI at 3-months (OR 0.5; 95% CI: 0.27-1.96). Most young women diagnosed with PID report exclusive relationships, but are simultaneously aware of their risk for recurrent STIs. Given the short-term stability of many relationships, couples interventions are an unexplored opportunity for prevention of recurrent STIs after PID.
Traumatic Extracranial Vascular Injury in Adults: Evidence-Based Emergency Imaging

Blunt traumatic extracranial vascular injuries most often occur in the setting of motor vehicle accidents, and the majority of penetrating neck injuries involve guns and knives. Injury of the carotid and/or vertebral arteries of the neck in blunt and penetrating trauma can occur through a variety of mechanisms, from direct transection, to shearing of blood vessels from hyperextension of the cervical spine, to disruption by fractures, and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in trauma patients. The purpose of this review is to present the evidence and the controversies surrounding the imaging workup of patients with suspected extracranial vascular injuries. Selection of subjects for imaging, suggested imaging protocols, and future research are reviewed.
How do children with and without ADHD talk about frustration?: Use of a novel emotion narrative recall task

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience difficulties related to emotional reactivity and regulation. The current study examines differences in the emotional reactivity and regulation of children with and without ADHD in the context of their real-life experiences of negative emotion using a novel ecologically valid methodology. Eighty-three 8-12-year-old children (46 ADHD, 38 non-ADHD) participated in the study. Children completed the negative emotion narrative recall task, a novel task whereby children provided a narrative recall of a real-life event where they experienced negative emotion. ANCOVA indicated children with ADHD recalled significantly more overall frustration and intense frustration than children without ADHD. Children with ADHD exhibiting more negative emotional reactivity while recalling negative emotions than children without ADHD. The current study suggests that children with ADHD are uniquely impacted by negative emotional experiences and represents an important step in understanding the emotional reactivity and regulation of children with ADHD.
Editorial Commentary: What Irks a Hip Arthroscopist? Intraoperative Anchor Failure

Abstract Intraoperative suture anchor failure is a seemingly unavoidable event during hip arthroscopy and it can happen to the best of us. To date, biomechanical cadaveric studies saturate hip anchor failure literature with only one known, published in vivo investigation. We now know that intraoperative anchor failure is an uncommon occurrence that does not significantly vary between basic population demographics. However, we have only been provided with foundational knowledge, and our community must continue to expand upon the basics.
Word recognition for regional dialects and nonnative accents in children and adults: Influence of psycholinguistic distance

Few studies have directly compared adults' or children's perception of nonnative accents and unfamiliar regional dialects. However, some evidence suggests that nonnative varieties cause greater decrements in intelligibility and processing than unfamiliar native dialects, while metalinguistic awareness for nonnative varieties develops earlier than awareness for regional variants. To directly examine regional and nonnative accent perception, we tested sentence recognition in American-English monolingual 5- to 7-year-old children and adults for three accents: Central Midland (familiar native), Scottish (unfamiliar native), and German (detectable but mild nonnative accent) in quiet and multitalker babble. In quiet, both children and adults showed highly accurate word recognition for all accents. Although children's performance was lower than adults’ in noise, overall word recognition accuracy patterns across accents were similar: accuracy was highest for the Midland talker, followed by the German-accented talker, and poorest for the Scottish talker. These data suggest that the greater decrements for nonnative accents compared to unfamiliar regional dialects previously reported may have arisen from the specific varieties or talkers selected. Although both types of unfamiliar speech can cause listening difficulty in noisy environments, the acoustic-phonetic distance from the home dialect may predict both adults' and children's performance better than native vs. nonnative status.
Through-focus or volumetric type of optical imaging methods: a review

In recent years, the use of through-focus (TF) or volumetric type of optical imaging has gained momentum in several areas such as biological imaging, microscopy, adaptive optics, material processing, optical data storage, and optical inspection. We provide a review of basic TF optical methods highlighting their design, major unique characteristics, and application space.
Evaluation of Chest Pain

The evaluation of patients with chest pain is a common task for medical practitioners. This commonly occurs in the context of an emergency department or inpatient hospital encounter and requires a comprehensive yet focused approach to provide a rapid diagnosis and assessment of risk. This chapter outlines the key elements of this evaluation: history and symptoms, physical exam, and ancillary testing, with a particular focus on imaging strategies that can be employed for the evaluation of chest pain and their use in settings such as chest pain evaluation units.
Cold-exposure survival and modeling offshore antiexposure garments

Abstract: A historical overview is given of life-threatening exposure to cold, which, although occasionally occurring during hiking and climbing excursions, is most likely to occur during accidental immersion in cold water. The use of antiexposure suits, designed to reduce heat loss in such accidents, and typically worn by personnel engaged in offshore work and commercial fishing rather than by recreational boaters is discussed.Standards for certifying antiexposure suits are examined and various methods are explored to bridge the gap between testing and actual in-use (life-threatening) conditions. Currently used acceptance standards are interpretated using human thermal modeling.
Midkine/P63 Axis in Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

The heparin-binding growth and differentiation factor/mitogen, midkine, was shown to play a critical role in embryonic development, prenatal differentiation and tumorigenesis, specifically as a regulator of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition/transdifferentiation. Along with other growth factors/mitogens, midkine was reported to activate the key signaling pathways leading to ability tumor cells to migrate and support cell invasiveness. Midkine was also found to act as an anti-apoptotic and pro-survival factor. In this report, we showed the interplay between the midkine- and p63-dependent signaling pathways potentially leading to the epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentation. We showed that the midkine transcription is regulated by p63 supported by promoter/reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. We further showed that midkine induces expression of ΔNp63 isotypes potentially leading to cell migration and cell invasiveness through the Stat3-dependent activation of the ΔNp63 promoter activity. Overall, we suggest a novel feedback loop mechanism underlying crosstalk between midkine and p63 pathways during epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentation.
Eosinophilic granuloma of bone: direct steroid injection

Eosinophilic granuloma of bone is a benign condition that was described as a distinct clinical and pathological entity by Lichtenstein and Jaffe [1] and Otani and Ehrlich [2] in 1940. One year later, Farber suggested a pathological gradation including eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schuller-Christian disease, and Letterer-Siwe disease [3]. In 1953, Lichtenstein consolidated these three entities under the term “histiocytosis X”, thereby emphasizing the inflammatory proliferative reaction common to all three forms of the disease as well as their indefinite etiologies [4]. Eosinophilic granuloma is generally accepted to represent the benign localized form of the disease, while Hand-Schuller-Christian and Letterer-Siwe diseases are thought to be disseminated types; however, the validity of this unifying concept is controversial and other authors stress their individual nature inspite of certain histological similarities [5, 6, 7].
Metabolism of Plasma Membrane-Associated Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans are widely distributed throughout animal tissues in two main localized areas; in association with the plasma membrane and in the extracellular matrix (especially in basement membranes). Discussions on the metabolism of plasma membrane-associated HS proteoglycans is the subject of this chapter.
Does Tranexamic Acid Reduce Blood Loss and Transfusion Requirements Associated With the Periacetabular Osteotomy

Background Tranexamic acid (TXA) has shown safety and efficacy in reducing blood loss associated with various surgical procedures. However, to our knowledge there are no studies evaluating the effect of TXA on blood loss and transfusion requirements associated with periacetabular osteotomy (PAO).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Youth: Essential Foundations and Elementary Practices

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with youth is a frontline psychosocial treatment for youth diagnosed with a variety of disorders. Buttressed by strong empirical findings, CBT offers practitioners a flexible way to alleviate distress. This chapter briefly reviews the theoretical and empirical stanchions for CBT with youth. Further, a modular approach to CBT is described, and a case example illustrates salient points.
Hierarchical State Space Checks for Errors in Sensors, Actuators and Control of Nonlinear Systems: Diagnosis and Compensation

The rapid rise of self-driving cars and drones has raised questions about the safety of autonomous robotics deployed in society. Prior work on robust and adaptive control make assumptions about the boundedness of errors or require the use of full scale system models running in the background for control reference. In this research, we show how state space checks can be used to diagnose and compensate for errors in sensors, actuators and control program execution in nonlinear systems for robotic applications. The primary focus is on lightweight methods for mitigation of transient errors in sensor data and control program execution and parametric deviations in sensor circuitry and actuator subsystems. A quadcopter is used as a test vehicle for the research and simulation results indicate that errors can be compensated with high efficiency and low computation overhead.
Evaluation and Durability of a Curriculum-Based Intervention for Promoting Mental Health among Graduate Students.

Graduate school environments are recognized for contributing to elevated stress levels among student populations. Purpose: The objective was to test whether a behavioral intervention, delivered thr...
Reliability-based indicator for post-earthquake traffic flow capacity of a highway bridge

Abstract Bridges are one of the most critical but vulnerable components in a transportation network during an earthquake event. Due to structural damage, the post-earthquake safety of bridges can be reduced significantly, and in order to maintain their safety, the allowable traffic flows of bridges are often controlled or regulated. Since the post-earthquake traffic flow capacities of bridges play an integral role in assessing the flow capacity of a transportation network and subsequently evaluating the resulting disruptions to supply chain systems as well as the movement of people and vehicles, it is imperative to understand the expected post-earthquake functionalities of bridges as part of the transportation network. This paper proposes a reliability-based indicator for assessing the expected post-earthquake traffic flow capacity of a highway bridge. In this paper, the structural safety of a bridge before and after an earthquake event is expressed by its reliability index. In order to simplify the process of computing the post-earthquake reliability indices of a bridge associated with a wide range of earthquake intensities, a bridge-specific reliability-intensity surface is introduced to represent the reliability indices given a set of earthquake intensities and the associated uncertainties. Then, the post-earthquake reliability index of a bridge is linked to the resulting traffic flow capacity by adjusting the nominal values of the live load based on the post-earthquake remaining traffic flow capacity. Using the reliability-intensity surface and the relationship between reliability index and traffic flow capacity, the allowable traffic flow capacity of a bridge subjected to a given earthquake intensity is computed, and by considering a range of earthquake intensities to which a bridge is potentially exposed, the proposed indicator represents the average allowable traffic flow that can be carried by a bridge in the event of an earthquake.