cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The "missing" link in atrial fibrillation heritability

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, represents a major health burden to individuals and health care system within the Western world. The lifetime risk for the development of AF at age 40 years has been estimated to be approximately 1 in 4. Atrial fibrillation is associated with substantial morbidity and a 2-fold increased risk of mortality. Given its increasing prevalence with age, coupled with the aging population, the number of Americans affected with AF is expected to increase from approximately 2.3 million in the year 2000 to nearly 16 million by 2050. This AF epidemic is further complicated by the lack of highly effective therapies. One reason for the lack of effective therapies for AF stems from incomplete understanding of the complex pathophysiology of the arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation has often been regarded as a condition that occurs in the context of atrial electrical and structural remodeling that can result from cardiac and systemic disorders. However, up to 30% of patients have no obvious cause and are said to have idiopathic or "lone" AF. Up until recently, AF was considered to be a sporadic, nongenetic disorder, but we and others have shown that lone AF has a substantial genetic basis. Mutations in genes encoding cardiac ion channels (KCNQ1, KCNE1-5, KCNJ2, KCNA5, and SCN5A), gap junctions (GJA5), and signaling molecules (atrial natriuretic peptide, nucleoporins [NUP155]) have been reported in isolated cases and small kindreds. The advent of the human genome and HapMap projects and high-throughput genotyping has fundamentally accelerated our ability to discover the genetic contribution to common variation in human disease. In 2007, a genome-wide association study identified 2 genetic variants that associated with AF. More recently, 2 additional AF loci on chromosomes 16q22 and 1q21 have been identified. It is quite likely, however, that the effects of alleles in many genes contribute to common complex diseases such as AF. The overall AF risk associated with common variants identified by the genome-wide association study approach is small (odds ratios, 1.1-2.5) and explains less than 10% of the heritability in lone AF. This raises the possibility that rare independent variants with large effects strong effects may account for a large fraction of the risk for lone AF.
Structure and polarization of atoms and molecules

IN ORDER TO CONSIDER dielectrics from a molecular point of view, it is necessary to explain the actions of dipoles, which are produced throughout the interior of the dielectric.∗ A dipole is a combination of a positive and negative charge located a short distance apart, as shown in Figure 1. A dipole is characterized by a dipole moment, which is the product of the magnitude of the charge (positive at one end and negative at the other) and the distance between the charges. The electric field at a distance from the dipole resembles the magnetic field of a bar magnet and depends only on the dipole moment, not on the charge or separation independently.
Drosophila Glutathione S-Transferase D27: Functional Analysis of Two Consecutive Tyrosines near the N-Terminus

The Drosophila glutathione S-transferase D27 (GST D27) has been purified and characterized after direct expression of the intronless gstD27 gene in E. coli. The GST D27 has both conjugation activity against the common substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and peroxidase activity against cumene hydroperoxide. Its pH optimum is 8.5 in 0.125 M bis-tris propane buffer at 22 degrees C. It is more thermal labile than the human GST121. The GST D27 has two tyrosines at positions 3 and 4. Both of them appear to be important but neither of them is essential for the enzyme activity. Thus, other residues may also participate in catalysis. The two tyrosines of GST D27 could also be important in binding to GSH or S-hexyl GSH. Results from in vitro biochemical analyses were confirmed by the in vivo activity-based CDNB growth inhibition analyses. Our results clearly indicate that the Drosophila GST D isozymes are different from any of the known mammalian GSTs.
MO-F-134-02: Project-Based Learning - Expanding Course Content with a Broad-Scope Project

Purpose: We set out to revise/improve the Radiation Detection Instrumentation and Data Analysis course at our institution due to negative student evaluations of this course. Initially, we began with changes to the syllabus, adding important topics that were not being covered and expanding the teaching faculty to include board‐certified physicists with practical clinical experience. Although this led to improved student course evaluations compared to the previous years, we were still not satisfied that enough material was being covered in the course. Because the time in the semester was limited, we considered alternative teaching methodologies in an effort to broaden the scope of the course. Methods: We implemented project‐based learning because it allowed us to keep instructor‐led lectures, which provide the students with fundamental knowledge that we believe essential for a core course. We also expanded the breadth of the topics covered in the course through assignment of a class project. The class project broadly aims to provide opportunities for each group of students to investigate meaningful real‐world topics related to radiation detection in medical physics. For this assignment, the students assume the role of director of the medical physics radiation therapy department at a comprehensive cancer treatment center and are asked to develop a capital equipment list of detectors and associated equipment to perform all necessary QA for this department. They are expected to submit a detailed report and give a presentation to the class. Results: The class project was first assigned in 2010 and has been required every year since. The project has increased the breadth of the course and student course evaluations have improved (82% positive compared to 36% positive). Conclusion: Overall, our students are learning more material in the revamped course and are exposed to one of the many facets of a career in clinical medical physics.
Mining the Function of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in Health and Disease

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) play a crucial role in the regulation of human health and it is now clear that PTP dysfunction is causal to a variety of human diseases. Research in the PTP field has accelerated dramatically over the last decade fueled by cutting-edge technologies in genomic and proteomic techniques. This system-wide non-biased approach when applied to the discovery of PTP function has led to the elucidation of new and unanticipated roles for the PTPs. These discoveries, driven by genomic and proteomic approaches, have uncovered novel PTP findings that range from those that describe fundamental cell signaling mechanisms to implications for PTPs as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of human disease. This review will discuss how new PTP functions have been uncovered through studies that have utilized genomic and proteomic technologies and strategies.
Suppression of hippocampal slice excitability by 2-, 3-, and 4-methylpyridine.

Abstract The present study assessed the effects of 2-, 3-, and 4-methylpyridine on rat hippocampal slice excitability. Tests of excitatory and inhibitory systems in area CA1 of the hippocampal slice were conducted over a period of 3 h postexposure. Following exposures of 100 μM 2-, 3-, or 4-methylpyridine, evoked population excitatory postsynaptic potential and population spike responses recorded in the cell body field of hippocampal area CA1 were slowly suppressed over the course of 3 h, whereas no effects on local inhibitory processes or latency of evoked responses were detected. No significant differences were observed between agents.
Hyperactivity, impaired learning on a vigilance task, and a differential response to methylphenidate in the TRβPV knock-in mouse

Rationale The thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) play a critical role in brain development, and thyroid abnormalities have been linked to a variety of psychiatric and neuropsychological disorders. Among patients with the rare genetic syndrome resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH), 40–70% meet the diagnostic criteria for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). RTH is caused by a mutation in the thyroid receptor β (Thrb) gene that results in reduced binding of T3 to its receptor and elevated concentrations of T3, T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone.
Numerical modeling of time-lapse monitoring of CO2 sequestration in a layered basalt reservoir

As part of preparations in plans by The Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership (BSCSP) to inject CO2 in layered basalt, we numerically investigate seismic methods as a noninvasive monitoring technique. Basalt seems to have geochemical advantages as a reservoir for CO2 storage (CO2 mineralizes quite rapidly while exposed to basalt), but poses a considerable challenge in term of seismic monitoring: strong scattering from the layering of the basalt complicates surface seismic imaging. We perform numerical tests using the Spectral Element Method (SEM) to identify possibilities and limitations of seismic monitoring of CO2 sequestration in a basalt reservoir. While surface seismic is unlikely to detect small physical changes in the reservoir due to the injection of CO2, the results from Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) simulations are encouraging. As a perturbation, we make a 5% change in wave velocity, which produces significant changes in VSP images of pre-injection and post-injection conditions. Finally, we perform an analysis using Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI), to quantify these changes in the reservoir properties due to CO2 injection. keywords: time-lapse seismic, numerical modeling, sequestration, downhole seismic, VSP
Cost analysis of diagnostic laparoscopy vs laparotomy in the evaluation of penetrating abdominal trauma

Background: Diagnostic laparoscopy for the evaluation of injuries in patients with penetrating abdominal trauma has been shown to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with mandatory laparotomy. The overall impact on patient care and hospital costs has not been thoroughly investigated. The goal of this study was to determine the economic impact of laparoscopy as a diagnostic tool in the management of patients following penetrating trauma to the abdomen or flank.
Psychotropic Drug Use in the Medically Ill: Part I

Underlying medical illness and drug interactions may make the use of psychotropic agents problematic in some physically ill patients. This overview, published in two parts, discusses six major classes of psychotropic medications (cyclic antidepressants, mono-amine oxidase inhibitors, benzodiazepines, neuroleptics, lithium, psvchostimulants, and carbamazepine) and examines their use in the setting of specific types of medical illnesses (e.g., cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic, and renal disease). Practical considerations in using psychotropic medications in medical-surgical patients—particularly those who are elderly or medically debilitated—will receive special emphasis.
Persistance of maternally derived 3H-estradiol in fetal and neonatal rats.

Injection of3H-estradiol into pregnant rats resulted in fetal blood radioactivity 5 times higher than in maternal blood. Significant amounts of3H-estradiol were found in fetal blood 24 h later and in the offspring 5 days after birth.
The role of trust and transparency in the pursuit of procedural and organisational justice

Central to the ability of the police to provide fair and effective services is the generation and preservation of reasonable levels of trust and transparency. For the police to be perceived as just internally (organisational justice) and externally (procedural justice), operations, decision-making and related behaviours must generally be transparent and must generate a degree of trust. Internally, officers must be able to understand how agency leaders make decisions and treat personnel; optimally, that understanding will facilitate the emergence of a high degree of trust between line personnel and those who direct their operations. Externally, the public must be able to understand how agencies behave in order to have confidence that their police force is working to ensure a high degree of efficiency, efficacy and equity in operations; optimally, that knowledge will ensure that citizens trust police personnel and forces. This paper examines the role that trust and transparency play in efforts to create pol...
Facilities management of departmental computers: a new opportunity for computer centers

In talking to the other panelists before the meeting. I realized that there is a terrific range in what we mean by facilities management and a terrific difference in the degree of formality with which the three of us have approached it, going from basically a handshake agreement to a contract. There is a real opportunity both for the Computer Center and for the campus in the area of facilities management.
Pharynx, esophagus, and associated structures in the booklouse, Liposcelis divinatorius

Abstract. Ultrastructural features of the pharynx, esophagus, and associated intrinsic visceral muscular and nervous structures of the booklouse, Liposcelis divinatorius, were studied to determine whether the anatomical arrangements of these structures differed from the general pattern found in insects. The results are compared with previous light microscope studies of this tiny insect. Variations from the usual arrangement reported for intrinsic visceral muscles associated with the pharynx in insects are described. Intrinsic visceral muscles include a narrow band of circularly disposed fibers and both extra-circular and intra-circular longitudinally disposed fibers. This represents a departure from the slightly developed inner longitudinal and more prominent outer circular fibers seen in most insects. The outer surface of some circular muscle cells has apparently unique pouches packed with mitochondria, which contain many cristae. Numerous bacteroids appear in the esophageal epithelial cells and in the sub-esophageal ganglion. Nerve processes associated with the foregut contain neurotubules, synaptic vesicles, and electron-dense granules.
18FDG PET-CT imaging detects arterial inflammation and early atherosclerosis in HIV-infected adults with cardiovascular disease risk factors

Background: Persistent vascular inflammation has been implicated as an important cause for a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in HIV-infected adults. In several populations at high risk for CVD, vascular 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 FDG) uptake quantified using 3D-positron emission-computed tomography (PET-CT) has been used as a molecular level biomarker for the presence of metabolically active proinflammatory macrophages in rupture-prone early atherosclerotic plaques. We hypothesized that 18 FDG PET-CT imaging would detect arterial inflammation and early atherosclerosis in HIV-infected adults with modest CVD risk. Methods: We studied 9 HIV-infected participants with fully suppressed HIV viremia on antiretroviral therapy (8 men, median age 52 yrs, median BMI 29 kg/m 2 , median CD4 count 655 cells/μL, 33% current smokers) and 5 HIVnegative participants (4 men, median age 44 yrs, median BMI 25 kg/m 2 , no current smokers). Mean Framingham Risk Scores were higher for HIV-infected persons (9% vs. 2%, p<0.01). 18 FDG (370 MBq) was administered intravenously. 3D-PET-CT images were obtained 3.5 hrs later. 18 FDG uptake into both carotid arteries and the aorta was compared between the two groups. Results: Right and left carotid 18 FDG uptake was greater (P<0.03) in the HIV group (1.77 ±0.26, 1.33 ±0.09 target to background ratio (TBR)) than the control group (1.05±0.10, 1.03±0.05 TBR). 18 FDG uptake in the aorta was greater in HIV (1.50 ±0.16 TBR) vs control group (1.24±0.05 TBR), but did not reach statistical significance (P=0.18). Conclusions: Carotid artery 18 FDG PET-CT imaging detected differences in vascular inflammation and early atherosclerosis between HIV-infected adults with CVD risk factors and healthy HIV-seronegative controls. These findings confirm the utility of this molecular level imaging approach for detecting and quantifying glucose uptake into inflammatory macrophages present in metabolically active, rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques in HIV infected adults; a population with increased CVD risk.
CURIOSITY IN YOUNG, MIDDLE‐AGED, AND OLDER ADULTS

The present investigation examined the relationship between age and curiosity in young, middle‐aged, and older adults. In addition, the relationship between surprise, perceived value, and desire for additional knowledge as determinants of curiosity within these age groups was examined. One hundred community dwelling adults were grouped into 3 age categories: young (25 to 35 years), middle‐aged (45 to 55 years), and older 65 to 75 years). Each participant completed two self‐report inventories: the Experiment Descriptions Inventory (EDI) and the Ontario Test of Intrinsic Motivation (OTIM). The EDI consists of 10 descriptions of previously reported psychological experiments and their results. These results were rated in terms of their surprisingness, perceived value, and the desire to gain additional knowledge about a research area. The OTIM is a “trait‐like” curiosity measure consisting of 110 true/false items. For the EDI data, a significant positive relationship between perceived value and desire for addi...
Nongenital malformations following exposure to progestational drugs: The last chapter of an erroneous allegation

In the late 1960s and 1970s, a number of epidemiological studies were published indicating that pregnant women who were exposed to an array of sex steroids delivered infants with an increased incidence of nongenital congenital malformations. Because of these publications, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in conjunction with various pharmaceutical companies, labeled the therapeutic exposure of progestational drugs and contraceptives in pregnant women as a risk factor for limb-reduction defects (LRDs) and congenital heart defects (CHDs). Subsequently there was a rapid decrease in the exposure of pregnant women to these drugs and the initiation of numerous lawsuits alleging that a particular progestational drug was responsible for a child's nongenital congenital malformation. Wilson and Brent (1981) published an article indicating that epidemiological and animal studies of these drugs, and basic science did not support the package insert's warnings. Many new and previous animal and epidemiological studies did not support the FDA box warning. In 1987 the FDA held a hearing in which the FDA, the Teratology Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and other organizations supported the position that progestational agents did not result in nongenital malformations. An editorial appeared in Teratology congratulating the FDA for removing the warning label on oral contraceptives regarding nongenital malformations. In 1999 the FDA published new wording for package inserts that removed warnings for nongenital malformations for all progestational agents. In spite of the recent changes in the package inserts, lawsuits have alleged that progestational drugs cause nongenital malformations. It took 22 years from the time a box warning was required by the FDA until the warnings were removed in 1999. The 1999 FDA publication, which is a scholarly and objective document, should put an end to 2 decades of concern and anxiety for pregnant women or women of reproductive age. Could scientists, the pharmaceutical companies, or the FDA have prevented the mislabeling of progestational drugs with regard to their teratogenic risks? Was the epidemiological or teratology community at fault because they did not critique and respond to the early publications? Did the FDA act too slowly? The epidemiologic analyses, animal studies, and basic science principles have been reviewed, and it is obvious that clinically utilized progestational drugs do not cause nongenital malformations (i.e., LRDs and CHDs).
A mechanistic model for enzymatic saccharification of cellulose using continuous distribution kinetics II: cooperative enzyme action, solution kinetics, and product inhibition.

The projected cost for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass continues to be a barrier for the commercial production of liquid transportation fuels from renewable feedstocks. Predictive models for the kinetics of the enzymatic reactions will enable an improved understanding of current limitations, such as the slow-down of the overall conversion rate, and may point the way for more efficient utilization of the enzymes in order to achieve higher conversion yields. A mechanistically based kinetic model for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose was recently reported in Griggs et al. (2011) (Part I). In this article (Part II), the enzyme system is expanded to include solution-phase kinetics, particularly cellobiose-to-glucose conversion by β-glucosidase (βG), and novel adsorption and product inhibition schemes have been incorporated, based on current structural knowledge of the component enzymes. Model results show cases of cooperative and non-cooperative hydrolysis for an enzyme system consisting of EGI and CBHI. The model is used to explore various potential rate-limiting phenomena, such as substrate accessibility, product inhibition, sterically hindered enzyme adsorption, and the molecular weight of the cellulose substrate. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:676–685. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An Iterative Assessment Approach to Improve Technology Adoption and Implementation Decisions by Healthcare Managers

The User-in-Context Iterative Assessment (UCIA) approach allows decision makers to acquire rich knowledge about their users and the way technology is used in the context of their work. A case study involving the introduction of a handheld medication administration device for nurses on a medical-surgical ward is used to illustrate how a UCIA approach can help provide healthcare IT professionals and hospital administrators with the data that they need to choose and implement IT applications that have the potential to maximize cost savings, while improving the delivery of patient care.
Neutralization of Mitochondrial Superoxide by Superoxide Dismutase 2 Promotes Bacterial Clearance and Regulates Phagocyte Numbers in Zebrafish

Mitochondria are known primarily as the location of the electron transport chain and energy production in cells. More recently, mitochondria have been shown to be signaling centers for apoptosis and inflammation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated as by-products of the electron transport chain within mitochondria significantly impact cellular signaling pathways. Because of the toxic nature of ROS, mitochondria possess an antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), to neutralize ROS. If mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes are overwhelmed during severe infections, mitochondrial dysfunction can occur and lead to multiorgan failure or death. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can infect immunocompromised patients. Infochemicals and exotoxins associated with P. aeruginosa are capable of causing mitochondrial dysfunction. In this work, we describe the roles of SOD2 and mitochondrial ROS regulation in the zebrafish innate immune response to P. aeruginosa infection. sod2 is upregulated in mammalian macrophages and neutrophils in response to lipopolysaccharide in vitro, and sod2 knockdown in zebrafish results in an increased bacterial burden. Further investigation revealed that phagocyte numbers are compromised in Sod2-deficient zebrafish. Addition of the mitochondrion-targeted ROS-scavenging chemical MitoTEMPO rescues neutrophil numbers and reduces the bacterial burden in Sod2-deficient zebrafish. Our work highlights the importance of mitochondrial ROS regulation by SOD2 in the context of innate immunity and supports the use of mitochondrion-targeted ROS scavengers as potential adjuvant therapies during severe infections.
The Emergent Information Commons: Philosophy, Models, and 21st Century Learning Paradigms

ABSTRACT The learning support role of the Information Commons exhibits emergent properties characteristic of organizational learning theory. The literature review highlights four articles from the United States, one from Germany, and one from Japan to illustrate the issues involved. The philosophy of the commons extension across physical, virtual, and cultural domains and the development of the Learning Commons as a collaboration among multiple learning support units, including libraries, are traced from theoretical origins through real-world examples. “Integrative learning” is offered as one example of a 21st century learning paradigm being supported by such collaborations, as evidenced by the development of commons-based e-portfolio systems. This article originally published in Journal of Library Administration, Vol. 50, Issue 1, pages 7–26, 2010. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01930820903422347.
Differences in Eye-Hand Motor Coordination of Video-Game Users and Non-Users:

The recent proliferation of electronic video games has caused an outcry from those who question the merits of the games, while others maintain the games improve eye-hand coordination. At present, no empirical data are available to indicate whether there are differences in eye-hand coordination between video game users and non-users. Comparing 31 video game users and 31 non-users showed users have significantly better eye-hand motor coordination on a pursuit rotor. However, no relationship was found between an individual's eye-hand motor coordination and the amount of time spent weekly playing video games or the length of experience with video games.
Postmastectomy Radiotherapy: Clinical Practice Guidelines of the American Society of Clinical Oncology*

OBJECTIVE: To determine indications for the use of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for patients with invasive breast cancer with involved axil-lary lymph nodes or locally advanced disease who receive systemic therapy. These guidelines are intended for use in the care of patients outside of clinical trials. POTENTIAL INTERVENTION: The benefits and risks of PMRT in such patients, as well as subgroups of these patients, were considered. The details of the PMRT technique were also evaluated. OUTCOMES: The outcomes considered included freedom from local-regional recurrence, survival (disease-free and overall), and long-term toxicity. EVIDENCE: An expert multidisciplinary panel reviewed pertinent information from the published literature through July 2000; certain investigators were contacted for more recent and, in some cases, unpublished information. A computerized search was performed of MEDLINE data; directed searches based on the bibliographies of primary articles were also performed. VALUES: Levels of ...
Reptilian embryos: a model for sex determination and sexual differentiation in amniotes.

Researchers realize that the selection of organisms for use as models requires both practical (e.g., abundance, availability, ease of care, and size) and scientific (appropriateness of the model) considerations. Based upon both of these considerations the use of embryonic reptiles as models for studies focusing on sex determination and sexual differentiation in amniotes is suggested. Phylogenetically, the class Reptilia gave rise both to birds and mammals, and ontogenic-ally, reptiles are very similar to these groups. Among amniote vertebrates, reptiles are unique in that they exhibit two distinct kinds of sex-determining mechanisms: genotypic sex determination (GSD) and temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). In addition representatives of this group exhibit diverse patterns of sex chromosome morphology ranging from male heteromorphic to homomorphic, to female heteromorphic. This diversity has provided researchers with unique opportunities to address questions regarding the physiology of gonadal determination. This paper reviews recent studies which have demonstrated that 1) GSD and TSD may have a similar molecular basis; 2) steroid hormones can override the normal sex-determining mechanism both in species with TSD and GSD; 3) the embryonic period of hormone sensitivity coincides with the period of normal gonadal differentiation; and 4) once a gonad has differentiated it is apparently committed and cannot be “sex-reversed.” In addition, conflicting reports regarding the effects of exogenous hormones on species exhibiting TSD and those with heteromorphic sex chromosomes are considered from the point of view that such variations are the result of differences in mechanisms controlling the various levels of sexuality.
Track-before-detect processing for a range-ambiguous radar

The development and simulation of a real-time, track-before-detect process for a scanning, dual high pulse-repetition frequency (PRF), airborne radar system are described. After a ranking procedure, a track-before-detect process based on a dynamic programming formulation is applied separately to the ranked data from the two range-ambiguous PRFs. After track detection, target range is unfolded using the Chinese remainder theorem. Quantitative results show a probability of detection of 0.5 with a signal-to-noise ratio of 6 dB for nonmaneuvering targets and 7.5 dB for moderately maneuvering targets. In each case, the probability of a false track rate is maintained at about 2*10/sup -6/ per range-azimuth-Doppler cell of the radar. >
Assessing the clinical utility of cancer genomic and proteomic data across tumor types

Molecular profiling of tumors promises to advance the clinical management of cancer, but the benefits of integrating molecular data with traditional clinical variables have not been systematically studied. Here we retrospectively predict patient survival using diverse molecular data (somatic copy-number alteration, DNA methylation and mRNA, microRNA and protein expression) from 953 samples of four cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas project. We find that incorporating molecular data with clinical variables yields statistically significantly improved predictions (FDR < 0.05) for three cancers but those quantitative gains were limited (2.2-23.9%). Additional analyses revealed little predictive power across tumor types except for one case. In clinically relevant genes, we identified 10,281 somatic alterations across 12 cancer types in 2,928 of 3,277 patients (89.4%), many of which would not be revealed in single-tumor analyses. Our study provides a starting point and resources, including an open-access model evaluation platform, for building reliable prognostic and therapeutic strategies that incorporate molecular data.
Structural Changes during the Formation of Early Intermediates in the Bacteriorhodopsin Photocycle

Early intermediates of bacteriorhodopsin's photocycle were modeled by means of ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical and molecular dynamics simulations. The photoisomerization of the retinal chromophore and the formation of photoproducts corresponding to the early intermediates were simulated by molecular dynamics simulations. By means of the quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical method, the resulting structures were refined and the respective excitation energies were calculated. Two sequential intermediates were found with absorption maxima that exhibit red shifts from the resting state. The intermediates were therefore assigned to the K and KL states. In K, the conformation of the retinal chromophore is strongly deformed, and the N--H bond of the Schiff base points almost perpendicular to the membrane normal toward Asp-212. The strongly deformed conformation of the chromophore and weakened interaction of the Schiff base with the surrounding polar groups are the means by which the absorbed energy is stored. During the K-to-KL transition, the chromophore undergoes further conformational changes that result in the formation of a hydrogen bond between the N--H group of the Schiff base and Thr-89 as well as other rearrangements of the hydrogen-bond network in the vicinity of the Schiff base, which are suggested to play a key role in the proton transfer process in the later phase of the photocycle.
On the role of neuronal magnetic susceptibility and structure symmetry on gradient echo MR signal formation.

Purpose Phase images obtained by gradient-recalled echo (GRE) MRI provide new contrast in the brain that is distinct from that obtained with conventional T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. The results are especially intriguing in white matter where both signal amplitude and phase display anisotropic properties. However, the biophysical origins of these phenomena are not well understood. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive theory of GRE signal formation based on a realistic model of neuronal structure. Methods We use Maxwell equations to find the distribution of magnetic field induced by myelin sheath and axon. We account for both anisotropy of neuronal tissue “magnetic micro-architecture” and anisotropy of myelin sheath magnetic susceptibility. Results Model describes GRE signal comprising of three compartments—axonal, myelin, and extracellular. Both axonal and myelin water signals have frequency shifts that are affected by the magnetic susceptibility anisotropy of long molecules forming lipid bilayer membranes. These parts of frequency shifts reach extrema for axon oriented perpendicular to the magnetic field and are zeros in a parallel case. Myelin water signal is substantially non-monoexponential. Conclusions Both, anisotropy of neuronal tissue “magnetic micro-architecture” and anisotropy of myelin sheath magnetic susceptibility, are important for describing GRE signal phase and magnitude. Magn Reson Med 71:345–353, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Technique to select the optimum modulation indices for suppression of undesired signals for simultaneous range and data operations

An algorithm to search for the optimum set of modulation indices that will optimise a given simultaneous range/command/telemetry communications link is presented. This technique provides a way to suppress the ranging signal in order to limit performance degradation in the data channel due to interference from the ranging channel to a desired level, given a specified ranging accuracy. The link (when optimized) will (1) provide maximum available power to both the data and ranging channels for a specified degradation in the data channel so that it will transmit at the required data rate, (2) achieve a specified ranging accuracy over a maximum distance, under a certain set of conditions, and (3) provide adequate power for carrier tracking without degrading the data-channel thresholds. In addition, both data and ranging channels will fall below the threshold at the same point. >
Enhancing a conventional performance evaluation system for counselors with 3600 feedback

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the performance of elementary, middle level, and high school counselors based upon quantitative and qualitative feedback from supervisors, students, parents, and staff members. The data were gathered during the pilot test of a newly implemented feedback process in the Utopia Community School District (UCSD). The 360°feedback instruments were developed for the four respondent groups at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. These feedback surveys were derived from a synthesis of district-specific summative evaluation instruments, locally created critical work activities, district-specific job descriptions, and the American School Counselor Association's national standards. The study's qualitative focus implemented a series of respondent-specific focus group interviews. Participants were asked a set of starter questions and their responses were taped to guarantee accuracy. These interviews were designed to ensure an accurate depiction of the participants' reflections of the performance feedback process and to assess the interaction with their counselors' programming. Survey results found that elementary and high school respondents were more critical than middle level respondents. Students were the least positive respondent group followed by administrators, staff members, and then parents. Specifically, elementary students were the least positive respondent subgroup, while middle level administrators were found to be the most positive. Focus group interviews found nine thematic areas; counselor workload, equity related concerns, 360° systemic issues, the value of multiple perspectives, evaluation/goal setting,
Current concepts of the role of abdominal compartment syndrome in acute pancreatitis – An opportunity or merely an epiphenomenon

The association of acute pancreatitis (AP) with intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) has only recently been recognized. The detrimental effects of raised intra-abdominal pressure in cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal systems have been well established. Although IAH was associated with a higher APACHE II score and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in severe acute pancreatitis, a causal relationship between ACS and MODS in SAP is yet to be established. It is therefore debatable whether IAH is a phenomenon causative of organ failure or an epiphenomenon seen in conjunction with other organ dysfunction. This review systemically examines the pathophysiological basis and clinical relevance of ACS in AP and summarizes all the available evidence in its management.
Walter, Archdeacon of London, and the “Historia Occidentalis” of Jacques de Vitry

Jacques de Vitry's Historia Occidentalis is one of the more remarkable and informative studies of contemporary western Christendom to come out of the thirteenth century. As numerous commentators have pointed out, it is unmistakably the product of the spiritual-intellectual school of Master Peter the Chanter of Paris, who inspired a generation of scholars and churchmen to marry popular preaching with the theology of the schools. Written early in the third decade of the thirteenth century, the Historia Occidentalis analyzes the moral state of the western church and juxtaposes in full relief the modes of both degeneracy and religious renewal within that society. Its thesis is that despite all the evils of the day, God is still working in and through the various elements of Christian society to sanctify his people; and these Christian people, for all of their failings, continue to share in the spiritual regeneration of Providence. The Historia Occidentalis has been characterized by one modern historian as “pulpit history.”
A fast speaker verification with universal background support data selection

In this study, a fast universal background support imposter data selection method is proposed, which is integrated within a support vector machine (SVM) based speaker verification system. Selection of an informative background dataset is crucial in constructing a discriminative decision super-plane between the enrollment and imposter speakers. Previous studies generally derive the optimal number of imposter examples from development data and apply to the evaluation data, which cannot guarantee consistent performance and often necessitate expensive searching. In the proposed method, the universal background dataset is derived so as to embed imposter knowledge in a more balanced way. Next, the derived dataset is taken as the imposter set in the SVM modeling process for each enrollment speaker. By using imposter adaptation, a more detailed subspace per target speaker can be constructed. Compared to the popular support-vector frequency based method, the proposed method can not only avoid parameter searching but offers a significant improvement and generalizes better on the unseen data.
Hi‐NicalonTM‐SSiC Fiber Oxidation and Scale Crystallization Kinetics

The oxidation and scale crystallization kinetics of Hi-NicalonTM-S SiC fibers were measured after oxidation in dry air between 700° and 1400°C. Scale thickness, composition, and crystallization were characterized by TEM with EDS, supplemented by SEM and optical microscopy. TEM was used to distinguish oxidation kinetics of amorphous and crystalline scales. Oxidation initially produces an amorphous silica scale that incorporates some carbon. Growth kinetics of the amorphous scale was analyzed using the flat-plate Deal-Grove model. The activation energy for parabolic oxidation was 248 kJ/mol. The scales crystallized to tridymite and cristobalite, starting at 1000°C in under 100 h and 1300°C in under 1 h. Crystallization kinetics had activation energy of 514 kJ/mol with a time growth exponent of 1.5. Crystalline silica nucleated at the scale surface, with more rapid growth parallel to the surface. Crystalline scales cracked from thermal residual stress and phase transformations during cool-down, and during oxidation from tensile hoop growth stress. High growth shear stress was inferred to cause intense dislocation plasticity near the crystalline SiO2–SiC interphase. Crystalline scales were thinner than amorphous scales, except where growth cracks allowed much more rapid oxidation.
Analysis of Collagen Fiber Organization in Mouse Achilles Tendon Using High-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging

Achilles tendon ruptures are traumatic injuries that frequently occur in active individuals and result in significant medical expense. Common techniques for assessing outcomes of surgical repair and rehabilitation rely heavily on patient-based measures of pain and function. While these measures can provide evidence for recovery of functional performance, they do not directly assess tendon healing which, if insufficient, can lead to re-rupture. The clinical evaluation of collagen organization following Achilles tendon injury may provide a more accurate measure of healing than traditional, functional performance tests. It has been shown that changes in collagen organization precede and correlate with changes in mechanical properties in tendons [1–3] and that load and injury effect collagen organization [4–6]. Ultimately, if collagen organization could be quantified in vivo, it would represent a powerful, diagnostic tool to measure the progression of tendon healing, as well as to monitor damage accumulation due to injury.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Spitzoid melanoma of childhood: a case series and review

Spitzoid melanomas (SM) and atypical Spitz tumors (AST) are rare pediatric neoplasms. We performed a retrospective, single-institution review and report our institutional experience. We identified 10 patients (median age: 12.5 years). A sentinel node biopsy (SNB) was performed in 8/10 (80%) patients, and interestingly 7/8 (87.5%) were found to be positive for malignant cells. A complete regional lymphadenectomy was performed in all SNB-positive patients, but only 2/8 (25%) were found to have additional lymph node spread. Adjuvant therapy was administered in 5/8 SLNB-positive and 2/2 (100%) regional LN-positive cases. All patients had excellent long-term outcomes (100% survival). This report highlights the excellent outcomes associated with SNB + pediatric SM and AST.
Harper, Historiography, and the Race/Gender Opposition in Feminism

AbstractWhy is Frances Ellen Watkins Harper not a legendary figure within American feminism in the same way that Sojourner Truth is? This essay suggests that the difference in feminist standing between these two nineteenth-century activists can be traced to the historiographical construction of a particular moment within suffrage history: the 1869 “split” within the movement, in which suffragists disagreed about whether to support or denounce the Fifteenth Amendment and the enfranchisement of black men ahead of women. These “split-narratives,” as I call them, pair Harper with Truth as black women who had to “choose” between privileging either their race or their sex in the face of the amendment and the debates it sparked in the suffrage movement. I argue that it is the critical attachment to the split and its attendant need to understand how historical figures reacted to the divide that effaces Harper’s career as a writer-activist and the feminist theorizing that can be drawn from her work. Through readin...
"I'm Feeding the World Tonight": The Impact of Moral Identity Standards on Mobile Loaves and Fishes Homeless Outreach Ministry

The purpose of this study is to examine what factors motivate volunteers who work at a religiously affiliated homeless outreach organization in Texas. Specifically, the research examines the extent to which Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ (MLF) framework influences volunteers’ decisions to participate in the organization’s mobile food distribution program. Analysis of three different qualitative data sources collected in fall 2012, including organizational materials, semi-structured interviews, and ethnographic field notes, suggests that MLF’s use of framing conveys a moral identity that encourages volunteers to continue their participation in homeless outreach. This paper adds to the existing social movement literature on faith-based community development organizations (FBCDOs) by examining how religious ideology is used in tandem with elaborated framing and condensing symbols to reflect moral identity standards which induce people to volunteer.
The parallel effects of magnesium on the complementary and coagulative activities of blood serum.

Magnesium chloride enhances the coagulation and complement activities of blood serum in parallel degree. These enhancing effects are inhibited by inactivated serum or by disodium phosphate. Distortion in the results of complement-fixation tests occurs with the addition of ionized magnesium salts to the system. This is due to the antagonistic effect of the inactivated test serum. In the quantitatively standardized test, however, where the titer is expressed as the ratio of the reaction of serum and antigen to that of serum alone, the findings are the same with or without added magnesium salts.
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Pediatric hematology/oncology encompasses a wide variety of diseases and disorders including cancer—both solid tumors and leukemias—bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, and the anemias. These present with a correspondingly varied range of symptoms, causes, treatments, and prognoses, as well as associated psychosocial issues. Although a comprehensive overview of these various diseases is beyond the scope of this chapter, disorders upon which the greatest amount of empirical research has been conducted will be discussed in detail.
The African National Congress of South Africa: A Bibliography

The time comes in the life of any Nation when there remains only two choices—submit or fight. That time has come now to South Africa. We shall not submit, and we have no choice but to hit back by a...
Response of guinea pigs to diets deficient in choline.

SummarySeven different choline deficient diets were fed to young rats and guinea pigs. While each of these diets resulted in fatty liver formation in the rats, in no instance was there observed an appreciable accumulation of fat in the guinea pig livers. This fact has been correlated with the lack of hepatic choline oxidase activity in the guinea pig as compared to all species which have, to date, been found susceptible to dietary choline deficiency.