cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retroconversion and Δ4 desaturation of docosatetraenoate (22 : 4(n-6)) and docosapentaenoate (22 : 5(n-3)) by human cells in culture

Abstract This study has investigated the metabolic modification of [3-14C]docosatetraenoate (22:4(n−6)) and [3-14C]docosapentaenoate (22:5(n−3)) by human cells in culture. Fetal skin fibroblasts converted as much as 20% of the incoporated [ 14 C ]22:4(n−6) to [ 14 C ]20:4(n−6) within 6 h and 41% within 48 h. Retroconversion of incorporated [ 14 C ]22:5(n−3) was less than 13% at all time points. Chain shortening of [ 14 C ]22:4(n−6) was also 2–6-fold greater than that of [ 14 C ]22:5(n−3) in retinoblastoma and vascular endothelial cells. Fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells and retinoblastoma cells all elongated substantially more [14C]eicosapentaenoate than [14C]arachidonate to the respective C22 fatty acids. Within 3–4 days, fibroblasts incubated with either [ 14 C ]20:5(n−3) or [ 14 C ]22:5(n−3) had the same ratio of radiolabeled C22:C20 fatty acids in cellular glycerolipids. By contrast, the cells incubated with [ 14 C ]22:4(n−6) or [ 14 C ]22:4(n−6) did not reach a common C22/C20 equilibrium by 5 days. Although fibroblasts were found to desaturate [ 14 C ]22:5(n−3) , a substantial lag time was observed; [ 14 C ]22:5(n−3) was 2% at 48h and 20% at 96h. By contrast, synthesis of [ 14 C ]22:6(n−3) by retinoblastoma cells was 51% within 6 h and > 90% at 96 h. Desaturation of [ 14 C ]22:4(n−6) was observed in retinoblastoma cells, but not in fibroblasts. These results thus suggest that the ratio of C22C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids in cells is regulated by the relative rates of retroconversion and chain elongation, with the net effect of the two processes favoring C20 for n−6 and C22 for the n−3 fatty acids. Furthermore, although fibroblasts desaturate [ 14 C ]22:5(n−3) , the process appears to be qualitatively different from that of retinoblastoma cells.
A Tale of Two Cities: Light Rail Transit in Canada

Toronto and Montreal are often cited for having effectively tied together rail transit and land‐use planning. This paper probes whether two other Canadian cities, Calgary and Edmonton, have been equally successful with their recent light rail transit systems. Both Calgary and Edmonton have pioneered the development of the modern‐day version of turn‐of‐the‐century streetcar technology. Moreover, both have pursued creative approaches to zoning, joint development, cost sharing, and parking policies. An examination of before and after data, however, suggests that LRT's impacts on densities, residential construction, and mixed‐use development have been quite modest in both places. Moreover, costs per passenger have risen steadily during the post‐LRT period in both places, while total transit patronage levels have stabilized. It is apparent that the recent downturn in both Calgary's and Edmonton's petroleum‐sensitive economies have overshadowed any effects of LRT on urban form or travel behavior. Some local obs...
Race, religion, and abstinence from alcohol in late life.

Objective: This study aimed to see whether involvement in religion helps explain why older Blacks are more likely to avoid drinking alcohol than older Whites. Methods: Interviews were conducted wit...
Security, recognition, and misgivings: Exploring older same-sex couples’ experiences of legally recognized same-sex marriage

This study examines older same-sex couples’ experiences with legally recognized same-sex marriage (SSM). Thirty-six same-sex couples who ranged in age from 56 to 73 (M = 63.75) participated in semi-standardized interviews about their reaction to SSM and the surrounding debates, the impact of SSM on their relationship and social network, and their decision to marry or not. Three themes emerged from older same-sex couples’ descriptions of their experiences with SSM: an increased sense of security, an increased sense of recognition, and misgivings about SSM. Results reflect the unique historical perspective and challenges of older same-sex couples as they negotiate a changing social context.
CONTROL OF ARITHMETIC ERRORS USING INFORMATIONAL FEEDBACK AND GRAPHING1

The effect of informational feedback and graphing on reducing the number of arithmetic worksheet errors was investigated. The present study replicated and extended earlier findings with other populations (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1974, 7, 547–555; 1970, 3, 1–4; 1970, 3, 235–240) to a first-grade classroom. Ten first-grade pupils (four males and six females) served in an ABAB design. During the feedback-only phase, subjects were provided informational feedback, in the form of a written number, on the number of errors made on individual arithmetic worksheets. The feedback-only phase lasted seven days and was followed by the feedback-plus-graphing phase, during which subjects graphed the number (of errors written at the top of the individual worksheet) daily on individual graphs on their desks. The feedback-plus-graphing phase lasted 10 days and was followed by a reversal to feedback only for 10 days. The final phase was a replication of the feedback-plus-graphing phase. All subjects showed a change in number of worksheet errors, in the predicted direction, during the feedback-plus-graphing phases. An overall mean difference of −2.66 was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.01), using a Wilcoxson Matched-Pairs Sign Test. The results were interpreted as being empirical support for earlier findings in other populations. In addition, the present findings represented a successful extension of feedback and graphing interventions to the management of academic behaviors in a first-grade classroom.
Potential Energy Surface of The Reaction of Imidazole with Peroxynitrite: Density Functional Theory Study

This article presents a theoretical investigation of the reaction mechanism of imidazole nitration by peroxynitrite using density functional theory calculations. Understanding this reaction mechanism will help in elucidating the mechanism of guanine nitration by peroxynitrite, which is one of the assumed chemical pathways for damaging DNA in cells. This work focuses on the analysis of the potential energy surface (PES) for this reaction in the gas phase. Calculations were carried out using Hartree–Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT) Hamiltonians with double-zeta basis sets ranging from 6-31G(d) to 6-31++G(d,p), and the triple-zeta basis set 6-311G(d). The computational results reveal that the reaction of imidazole with peroxynitrite in gas phase produces the following species: (i) hydroxide ion and 2-nitroimidazole, (ii) hydrogen superoxide ion and 2-nitrosoimidazole, and (iii) water and 2-nitroimidazolide. The rate-determining step is the formation of a short-lived intermediate in which the imidazole C2 carbon is covalently bonded to peroxynitrite nitrogen. Three short-lived intermediates were found in the reaction path. These intermediates are involved in a proton-hopping transport from C2 carbon to the terminal oxygen of the OO moiety of peroxynitrite via the nitroso (ON) oxygen. Both HF and DFT calculations (using the Becke3–Lee–Yang–Parr functional) lead to similar reaction paths for proton transport, but the landscape details of the PES for HF and DFT calculations differ. This investigation shows that the reaction of imidazole with peroxynitrite produces essentially the same types of products (nitro- and nitroso-) as observed experimentally in the reaction of guanine with peroxynitrite, which makes the former reaction a good model to study by computation the essential characteristics of the latter reaction. Nevertheless, the computationally determined activation energy for imidazole nitration by peroxynitrite in the gas phase is 84.1 kcal/mol (calculated at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level), too large for an enzymatic reaction. Exploratory calculations on imidazole nitration in solution, and on the reaction of 9-methylguanine with peroxynitrite in the gas phase and solution, show that solvation increases the activation energy for both imidazole and guanine, and that the modest decrease (15 kcal mol−1) in the activation energy, due to the adjacent six member ring of guanine, is counterbalanced by solvation. These results lead to the speculation that proton tunneling may be at the origin of experimentally observed high reaction rate of guanine nitration by peroxynitrite in solution. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005
The structure of self-similar stable mixed moving averages

Let fi2 (1;2) and Xfi be a symmetric fi-stable (SfiS) process with stationary increments given by the mixed moving average Xfi(t) = Z
Aggregate concentration and the cost of systemic risk

Aggregate concentration may exacerbate systemic risk if the social cost of business failure is a superlinear function of the fraction of industry capacity lost to failure. This result suggests new empirical tests to inform policy debates, as well as supporting an efficiency rationale for restricting aggregate concentration under certain conditions.
Top–down biases win against focal attention in the fusiform face area

Many studies have reported that BOLD activity in visual cortex is enhanced in the presence of selective attention. These reports are seemingly at odds with psychophysical data showing that observers are able to efficiently categorize natural stimuli in the near-absence of focal attention. To reconcile these two lines of evidence, we study the effects of attentional modulation on face-selective responses in the fusiform face area (FFA) using fMRI. Different from previous fMRI studies in which an “attended” condition (where subjects make a behavioral report on faces) is compared to an “unattended” condition (where the faces are task irrelevant), we included a third condition in which focal attention was not fully available to the faces yet they remained task relevant. Thus we were able to distinguish between the effects of spatial attention and a task-based component of attention. Whether or not subjects had to spatially attend to the faces made no difference to the amplitude of BOLD activity in the FFA provided the faces had to be discriminated. As expected, we observed a decrease in BOLD activity in the FFA when faces were task irrelevant. This pattern of modulation of the BOLD response as a function of the subject’s behavior was region specific as it did not extend to the parahippocampal place area. These results point to a coherent picture of how spatial attention and top–down task-based attention interact in visual cortex.
Fluorescence binding assay for a small peptide based on a GFP fusion protein

Abstract A fluorescence binding assay was developed for a small peptide based on a fusion protein between the peptide and the green fluorescent protein, GFP. The assay employs genetic engineering methods to prepare the analyte-label (peptide–GFP) conjugate as a fusion protein in order to produce a one-to-one, homogenous population of labeled-peptide. Specifically, a plasmid was constructed in which the C-terminus of a model octapeptide was fused to the N-terminus of GFP. Following expression of the octapeptide–GFP fusion protein in Escherichia coli , an immunoassay was developed based on sequential binding of the free octapeptide and labeled-octapeptide to an anti-octapeptide antibody immobilized on a solid surface. The naturally fluorescent protein acts as a label to provide sensitive detection for peptides. To our knowledge, this is the first time that GFP has been used as a quantitative label in a fusion protein to develop a quantitative assay for a peptide analyte.
Carbohydrate partitioning between upper and lower regions of the crown in oat and rye during cold acclimation and freezing

Carbohydrates have long been recognized as an important aspect of freezing tolerance in plants but the association between these two factors is often ambiguous. To help clarify the relationship, the allocation of carbohydrates between speciWc tissues within the over wintering organ (crown) of winter cereals was measured. A winter-hardy and non-winter-hardy oat (Avena sativa L.), and a rye (Secale cereale L.) cultivar were grown and frozen under controlled conditions. Crown tissue was fractionated into an upper portion, called the apical region, and a lower portion, called the lower crown. These tissues were ground in liquid N and extracted with water. Extracts were analyzed by HPLC for the simple sugars, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and for fructan of various size classes. After 3 weeks of cold acclimation at 3 °C, carbohydrates accounted for approximately 40% of the dry weight of oats and 60% of the dry weight of rye. The apical region, which is the tissue within the crown that acclimates to the greatest extent, was generally 10% higher in total carbohydrates than the lower crown. During a mild freeze, various carbohydrates were allocated diVerently between speciWc tissues in the three genotypes. When frozen, fructan generally decreased to a greater extent in the lower crown than in the apical region but sugars increased more in the apical region than in the lower crown. Results suggest that to understand how carbohydrates relate to freezing tolerance, regions of the crown that endure freezing stress diVerently should be compared. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Course and outcome of bipolar spectrum disorder in children and adolescents : A review of the existing literature

The longitudinal course of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder (BP) is manifested by frequent changes in symptom polarity with a fluctuating course showing a dimensional continuum of bipolar symptom severity from subsyndromal to mood syndromes meeting full Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. These rapid fluctuations in mood appear to be more accentuated than in adults with BP, and combined with the high rate of comorbid disorders and the child's cognitive and emotional developmental stage, may explain the difficulties encountered diagnosing and treating BP youth. Children and adolescents with early-onset, low socioeconomic status, subsyndromal mood symptoms, long duration of illness, rapid mood fluctuation, mixed presentations, psychosis, comorbid disorders, and family psychopathology appear to have worse longitudinal outcome. BP in children and adolescents is associated with high rates of hospitalizations, psychosis, suicidal behaviors, substance abuse, family and legal problems, as well as poor psychosocial functioning. These factors, in addition to the enduring and rapid changeability of symptoms of this illness from very early in life, and at crucial stages in their lives, deprive BP children of the opportunity for normal psychosocial development. Thus, early recognition and treatment of BP in children and adolescents is of utmost importance.
Artificial immune system-based diagnostics and prognostics scheme and its experimental verification

In this paper, a novel fault diagnostics and prediction (FDP) scheme is introduced by using artificial immune system (AIS) as an online approximator for a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems. Traditionally, AIS is considered as an offline tool for fault detection (FD). However, in this paper, AIS is utilized as an online approximator in discrete-time (OLAD) along with a robust adaptive term in the proposed fault diagnostics observer. Using the fact that the system outputs are alone measurable, an output residual is determined by comparing the observer and system outputs and a fault is detected if this output residual exceeds a predefined threshold. Upon detection, the OLADs are initiated to learn the unknown fault dynamics while the robust adaptive term ensure asymptotic convergence of the output residual for a state fault whereas a bounded result for an output fault. Additionally, for prognostics purposes, the parameter update law for AIS is used to estimate the time-to-failure (TTF). Finally, the performance of the proposed FDP scheme is demonstrated experimentally on an axial piston pump test-bed for two failure modes.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Leukoaraiosis Burden Significantly Modulates the Association Between Infarct Volume and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale in Ischemic Stroke”

We thank Liu et al1 for their interest in our study. The authors question whether our results may have been confounded by the several unmeasured factors. First, we did not assess the time from stroke onset to clinical evaluation of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) in the studied cohort. We agree with Liu et al1 that the dynamics of NIHSS recovery may differ between patients with severe versus mild leukoaraiosis.2 However, whether this leads to measurable differences in the hyperacute period is uncertain. In fact, …
Anatomy of an Error

Marston’s theory for loads on buried pipe dates from the early 1900s and is commonly used for design. The derivation nevertheless contains a rudimentary error whose effect was neutralized by empirical adjustments based on full-scale experiments. The discrepancy went undiscovered until the 1940s when Terzaghi noted an inconsistency relative to failures of cellular cofferdams. The error then was addressed by Krynine, but no attempt was made to make design adjustments until development of a soil arching theory for retaining walls in the 1980s. The error is simply stated: \IThe Rankine active pressure coefficient\N K\da\N \Irepresents a ratio of principal stresses, and by definition a principal stress cannot contribute to friction\N. The history, significance, and lessons to be learned are discussed, and suggestions are made for modifications of the Marston presentation.
Expression of miR-34 is lost in colon cancer which can be re-expressed by a novel agent CDF

Background: Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Numerous cellular events, including deregulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), specifically the family of miR-34 consisting of miR-34a, b and c, is known to regulate the processes of growth and metastasis. Methods: We evaluated the expression of miR-34 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human colon cancer tissue specimens compared to normal colonic mucosa. Moreover, we also assessed the expression of miR-34 in colon cancer cell lines treated with our newly developed synthetic analogue of curcumin referred as difluorinated curcumin (CDF) compared to well known inhibitor of methyl transferase. Results: We found that the expression of miR-34a and miR-34c was down-regulated in colon cancer specimens compared to normal colonic mucosa and the loss of expression was also consistent with data from colon cancer cell lines. This down-regulation was attributed to promoter hypermethylation, because we found that the treatment of colon cancer cells with 5-aza-2´-deoxycytidine, a methyltransferase inhibitor, markedly induced the levels of miR-34a and miR-34c expression. Likewise, CDF was very effective in the re-expression of miR-34a and miR-34c, which was consistent with inhibition of cell growth of both chemo-sensitive and chemo-resistant colon cancer cells. The re-expression of miR-34 led to a marked reduction in the expression of its target gene, Notch-1. Conclusion: The loss of expression of miR-34 in colon cancer is in part due to promoter hypermethylation of miR-34, which can be re-expressed with our novel agent CDF, suggesting that CDF could be a novel demethylating agent for restoring the expression of miR-34 family, and thus CDF could become a newer therapeutic agent for the treatment of colon cancer.
Lipid Raft Heterogeneity in Human Peripheral Blood T Lymphoblasts: A Mechanism for Regulating the Initiation of TCR Signal Transduction

Lateral mobility and spatial organization of proteins within the plasma membrane are likely to mediate the initial events coordinating T cell activation. Lipid rafts, distinct cholesterol/sphingolipid-rich membrane microdomains, provide a mechanism for this regulation by concentrating or excluding signaling proteins. We demonstrate in peripheral blood T cell lymphoblasts that immediate early phosphotyrosine signal transduction through the TCR complex is functionally dependent on a distinct population of lipid rafts. Specifically, cholesterol extraction destabilizes the membrane microdomains containing Lck, while the rafts containing the adapter protein linker for activation of T cells remain intact. Heterogeneity in the partitioning of these proteins in resting cells was confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy. After T cell activation, both Lck and the linker for activation of T cells colocalize to 50-100 nm microdomains in the plasma membrane, indicating that sequestration of these proteins into distinct lipid rafts may function to regulate the initiation of T cell signal transduction.
Four-dimensional processing of deformable cardiac PET data.

Abstract A four-dimensional deformable motion algorithm is described for use in the motion compensation of gated cardiac positron emission tomography. The algorithm makes use of temporal continuity and a non-uniform elastic material model to provide improved estimates of heart motion between time frames. Temporal continuity is utilized in two ways. First, incremental motion fields between adjacent time frames are calculated to improve estimation of long-range motion between distant time frames. Second, a consistency criterion is used to insure that the image match between distant time frames is consistent with the deformations used to match adjacent time frames. The consistency requirement augments the algorithm’s ability to estimate motion between noisy time frames, and the concatenated incremental motion fields improve estimation for large deformations. The estimated motion fields are used to establish a voxel correspondence between volumes and to produce a motion-compensated composite volume.
The Impact of Communication Apprehension and Interaction Structure on Initial Interactions.

This study examined the impact of communication apprehension (CA) and interaction structure on participants’ perceptions and behavior during initial interactions. Overall, high CA males perceived their female interaction partners to be less physically attractive, less trustworthy, and less satisfying to interact with than did low CA males. There were no statistically significant differences for females’ perceptions of the high and low CA males. High CA males talked less, displayed fewer disfluencies, and used less head nodding than did low CA males. Interaction structure accounted for differences in a variety of the variables explored here. However, with the exception of self‐disclosure, structure effects were not related to communication apprehension.
The control of reproductive physiology and behavior by gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) controls the reproductive physiology and behavior of vertebrates by stimulating synthesis and release of gonadotropin from the pituitary gland. In 2000, another hypothalamic neuropeptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), was discovered in quail and found to be an inhibiting factor for gonadotropin release. GnIH homologs are present in the brains of vertebrates, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and fish. These peptides, categorized as RF amide-related peptides (RFRPs), possess a characteristic LPXRF-amide (X = L or Q) motif at their C-termini. GnIH/RFRP precursor mRNA encodes a polypeptide that is possibly cleaved into three mature peptides in birds and two in mammals. The names of these peptides are GnIH, GnIH-related peptide-1 (GnIH-RP-1) and GnIH-RP-2 in birds, and RFRP-1 and RFRP-3 in mammals. GnIH/RFRP is synthesized in neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in birds and the dorsomedial hypothalamic area in mammals. GnIH neurons project to the median eminence, thus providing a functional neuroanatomical infrastructure to regulate anterior pituitary function. In quail, GnIH inhibits gonadal activity by decreasing synthesis and release of gonadotropin. The widespread distribution of GnIH/RFRP immunoreactive fibers in all animals tested suggests various actions within the brain. In accordance, GnIH/RFRP receptor mRNA is also expressed widely in the brain and the pituitary. GnIH/RFRP immunoreactive axon terminals are in probable contact with GnRH neurons in birds and mammals, and we recently demonstrated expression of GnIH receptor mRNA in GnRH-I and GnRH-II neurons in European starlings. Thus, GnIH/RFRP may also inhibit gonadotropin synthesis and release by inhibiting GnRH neurons in addition to having direct actions on the pituitary gland. Intracerebroventricular administration of GnIH/RFRP further inhibits reproductive behaviors in songbirds and rodents, possibly via direct actions on the GnRH system. The expression of GnIH/RFRP is regulated by melatonin which is an internal indicator of day length in vertebrates. Stress stimuli also regulate the expression of GnIH/RFRP in songbirds and rodents. Accordingly, GnIH/RFRP may serve as a transducer of environmental information and social interactions into endogenous physiology and behavior of the animal. Recently, it was shown that GnIH/RFRP and its receptor are also expressed in the gonads of birds, rodents and primates. In sum, the existing data suggest that GnIH/RFRP is an important mediator of reproductive function acting at the level of the brain, pituitary, and the gonad in birds and mammals.
Guidelines For Planning A Multinational Accounting Information System

The emphasis on globalization has affected numerous areas in business. In order to keep up with the growing trend toward globalization, multinational corporations have set up computerized accounting information systems with their affiliates to provide the accounting information needed to plan, control, evaluate and coordinate all business activities. To satisfy all the users' needs and government regulations in setting up a multinational accounting information system is a difficult task. This paper provides guidelines to be considered in planning a multinational accounting information system. A case study of an actual multinational information systems planning is used to illustrate the issues these guidelines address.
The Relative Informativeness of Fair Value Versus Historical Cost Amounts for Long-Lived Tangible Assets

In this study, we investigate which accounting measurement practice, fair value or historical cost, results in a relatively better measure of financial position and profitability. As investment property in the U.K. is required to be recognized at ?open market value? and historical cost amounts also are required to be disclosed, the focus of our investigation is on U.K. investment property. Open market value is defined as an exit value and is the valuation basis for all long-lived tangible assets in the U.K, not just investment property. Thus, unlike extant research, we are able to directly compare fair value and historical cost amounts for the same assets and investigate revaluations that are not discretionary. We find that fair value estimates for buildings and land are more highly associated with security prices than historical cost in every year we examine and that fair value adjustments are valued in a similar manner as historical cost amounts. We find weaker but consistent evidence that fair value estimates are more highly associated with security returns than historical cost.
Post-transcriptional Regulation of Luteinizing Hormone Receptor mRNA Expression in the Ovary

Regulated degradation of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) mRNA through post-transcriptional mechanisms plays an important role in regulating LH receptor expression in response to changes in the secretion of LH from the pituitary gland. A specific LHR mRNA binding protein (LRBP), identified as mevalonate kinase, binds to nucleotides 203–220 in the coding region of LHR mRNA and exhibits specificity for this region. The LHR mRNA binding protein caused accelerated LHR mRNA decay through translational suppression of LHR mRNA. Furthermore, LRBP interacts with other proteins identified by yeast two hybrid screens. Among these, eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) undergoes hypusination and plays a regulatory role by interacting with LHR mRNA-LRBP complex. Inhibition of hypusination of eIF5A reduces the ability of LHR mRNA to undergo ligand-induced downregulation. We have identified a small non-coding RNA, miR-122 that plays a role in LHR mRNA expression by regulating LRBP via sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP). The post-transcriptional mechanism described here provides a novel means to regulate the steady state levels of LHR, a molecule that plays a central role in mammalian reproduction, by controlling the degradation of its mRNA during ovarian cycle.
Accuracy of medial foot compartment pressure testing: a comparison of two techniques.

Background: Foot compartment syndrome is diagnosed with intracompartmental pressure measurements. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of two techniques to accurately place a needle tip within the medial foot compartment and to compare the proximity of the needle tip to the medial foot compartment neurovascular structures between the two techniques. Materials and Methods: This was a laboratory study using ten unembalmed cadaveric ankle-foot specimens. Two 18-gauge side-ported needles were placed into the medial foot compartments of each cadaveric specimen utilizing two separate techniques (Mollica and Reach techniques). Ultrasound was used to confirm needle tip placement within the medial foot compartment and needle proximity to the neurovascular structures. Results: Both needle placement techniques accurately placed the needle tip within the medial foot compartment. However, the distance between the needle tip and the neurovascular structures of the medial foot compartment was significa...
Multimodal Imaging Signatures of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that manifests through hallmark motor symptoms, often accompanied by a range of non-motor symptoms. There is a putative delay between the onset of the neurodegenerative process, marked by the death of dopamine-producing cells, and the onset of motor symptoms, creating an urgent need to develop biomarkers that may yield early PD detection. Neuroimaging offers a non-invasive approach to examining the potential utility of a vast number of functional and structural brain characteristics as biomarkers. We present a statistical framework for analyzing neuroimaging data from multiple modalities to determine features that reliably distinguish PD patients from healthy control (HC) subjects. Our approach builds on elastic net, performing regularization and variable selection, while introducing additional criteria centering on parsimony and reproducibility. We apply our method to data from 42 subjects (28 PD patients and 14 HC). Our approach demonstrates extremely high accuracy, assessed via cross-validation, and isolates brain regions that are implicated in the neurodegenerative PD process.
Remedies as a Capstone Experience: How the Remedies Course Can Help Address the Challenges Facing Legal Education

This essay argues that the Remedies Course is an excellent vehicle by which to assess whether students have achieved the types of knowledge, skills, and values legal educators likely wish them to have upon graduation. It first considers the educational environment in which we find ourselves, including proposed ABA accreditation standards focusing on the needs for greater assessment of professional skills. The paper then explains how a capstone experience at the conclusion of a student’s legal education is one means of addressing these proposed new standards. Finally, it explains why Remedies is one of a select group of courses that can be designed to meet the ABA requirements.
A clustering study on mumps in Shenzhen based on space-time permutation scanning statistics

Objective To explore the spatiotemporal clusters of mumps in Shenzhen. Methods Retrospective space-time permutation scan statistics and Spatial autocorrelation analysis were applied to analyze mumps reporting data of Shenzhen from January 1,2009 to December 31,2011,and geographic information systems( GIS) technology was used to show mumps clusters. Results A total of 23 significant mumps clusters were detected,including one most likely cluster and 22 secondary clusters. The most likely cluster was occurred in Shatoujiao and Haishan streets from November 27 to December 26,2011( P 1. 0 × 10- 17). Secondary clusters included four clustering areas and two clustering points in 2009,one clustering area and six clustering points in 2010,one clustering area and nine clustering points in 2011. The trendency showed that large-scale clustering areas were reducing,while small-scale clustering points were gradually increasing. All clusters mainly occurred on April to July and November to February,which were also the mumps epidemic peaks in Shenzhen and Guangdong Province. Local autocorrelation analysis indicated that high-value clusters were noted in Haishan,Shatoujiao,Liantang,Nantou,Longgang Streets in 2009,and Yantian,Haishan,Pinghu,Fuyong Streets in 2011,consistent with the results of space-time scan analysis. Conclusions Space-time permutation scan statistics together with geographic information system could be used to clearly and fully evaluate spatiotemporal clustering characteristics of infectious disease,and provide more valuable information for the disease control and prevention.
Abstract 1041: Glutamine drives glutathione synthesis and contributes to radiation sensitivity of A549 and H460 lung cancer cell lines

Increased glutamine uptake is known to drive cancer cell proliferation, making tumor cells glutamine-dependent. Glutamine provides additional carbon and nitrogen sources for cell growth. The first step in glutamine utilization is its conversion to glutamate by glutaminase (GLS). Glutamate is a precursor for glutathione synthesis, and we investigated the hypothesis that glutamine drives glutathione synthesis and thereby contributes to cellular defense systems. The importance of glutamine for glutathione synthesis was studied in H460 and A549 lung cancer cell lines using glutamine-free medium and BPTES a GLS inhibitor. Metabolic activities were determined by targeted mass spectrometry. A significant correlation between glutamine consumption and glutathione excretion was demonstrated in H460 and A549 tumor cells. Culturing in the presence of [13C5]glutamine demonstrated that by 12 hrs >50% of excreted glutathione is derived from glutamine. Culturing in glutamine-free medium or treatment with Bis-2-(5-phenyl-acetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)ethyl sulfide (BPTES), a glutaminase (GLS)-specific inhibitor, reduced cell proliferation and viability, and abolished glutathione excretion. Treatment with glutathione-ester prevented BPTES induced cytotoxicity. Inhibition of GLS markedly radiosensitized the lung tumor cell lines, suggesting an important role of glutamine-derived glutathione in determining radiation sensitivity. We demonstrate here for the first time that a significant amount of extracellular glutathione is directly derived from glutamine. This finding adds yet another important function to the already known glutamine dependence of tumor cells and probably tumors as well. Citation Format: Daniel Sappington, Rosalind Penney, Eric Siegel, Gunnar Boysen. Glutamine drives glutathione synthesis and contributes to radiation sensitivity of A549 and H460 lung cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1041.
Improving publication rates in a collaborative clinical trials research network.

Abstract Unpublished results can bias biomedical literature, favoring positive over negative findings, primary over secondary analyses, and can lead to duplicate studies that unnecessarily endanger subjects and waste resources. The Neonatal Research Networkʼs (NRN) publication policies for approving, reviewing, and tracking abstracts and papers work to combat these problems. In 2003, the NRN restricted investigators with unfinished manuscripts from proposing new ones and in 2010, urged authors to complete long-outstanding manuscripts. Data from 1991 to 2015 were analyzed to determine effectiveness of these policy changes. The NRN has achieved an overall publication rate of 78% for abstracts. For 1990–2002, of 137 abstracts presented, 43 (31%) were published within 2 years; for 2003–2009, after the manuscript completion policy was instituted, of 140 abstracts presented, 68 (49%) were published within 2 years. Following the effort in 2010, the rate increased to 64%. The NRN surpassed reported rates by developing a comprehensive process, holding investigators accountable and tracking abstracts from presentation to publication.
Production of Messages in Pursuit of Multiple Social Goals: Action Assembly Theory Contributions to the Study of Cognitive Encoding Processes

This chapter reviews the program of research on multiple-goal message production conducted within the action assembly theory framework. Action assembly theory has served to direct attention to the temporal characteristics of multiple-goal messages. These message features are seen not only to have social significance by virtue of the fact that they are related to social perception and attributions, but also to provide a window on cognitive encoding processes. From the perspective of action assembly theory, messages aimed at accomplishing multiple social objectives are formulated through the same processes of activation and assembly that are held to underlie all behavioral production. The specific characteristics of these processes have been used to derive a number of hypotheses concerning the temporal features of messages produced under various goal instruction sets. The bulk of this chapter reviews the experimental tests of these hypotheses, summarizes the pattern of empirical findings across multiple stu...
Research data management in the age of big data: Roles and opportunities for librarians

In the age of "big data," scientific researchers are increasingly struggling with how to manage, organize, and make sense of the vast amount of data that often characterizes scientific research in the 21st century. With their expertise in knowledge management, information professionals can be valuable collaborators for research teams facing these challenges. This article discusses just a few of the myriad opportunities for librarians and other information professionals to become involved with research teams and provide valuable support for the management, analysis, and preservation of research data.
Self and Conspecific Dermatophagy in the Aquatic Salamander Amphiuma tridactylum

Dermatophagy, the practice of eating shed skin, in amphibians and reptiles has been reported anecdotally in the literature, but the process and purpose remains poorly understood. We document a fortuitous observation of whole-skin shedding and conspecific dermatophagy in Amphiuma tridactylum (Three-toed Amphiuma), and report on 2 additional observations of self-dermatophagy. Shed skins are potential protein and nutrient sources, and we suggest that dermatophagy may be a much more common occurrence than originally thought.
Electrostatic Spray Deposition-Based Manganese Oxide Films-From Pseudocapacitive Charge Storage Materials to Three-Dimensional Microelectrode Integrands.

In this study, porous manganese oxide (MnOx) thin films were synthesized via electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) and evaluated as pseudocapacitive electrode materials in neutral aqueous media. Very interestingly, the gravimetric specific capacitance of the ESD-based electrodes underwent a marked enhancement upon electrochemical cycling, from 72 F∙g−1 to 225 F∙g−1, with a concomitant improvement in kinetics and conductivity. The change in capacitance and resistivity is attributed to a partial electrochemical phase transformation from the spinel-type hausmannite Mn3O4 to the conducting layered birnessite MnO2. Furthermore, the films were able to retain 88.4% of the maximal capacitance after 1000 cycles. Upon verifying the viability of the manganese oxide films for pseudocapacitive applications, the thin films were integrated onto carbon micro-pillars created via carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) for examining their application as potential microelectrode candidates. In a symmetric two-electrode cell setup, the MnOx/C-MEMS microelectrodes were able to deliver specific capacitances as high as 0.055 F∙cm−2 and stack capacitances as high as 7.4 F·cm−3, with maximal stack energy and power densities of 0.51 mWh·cm−3 and 28.3 mW·cm−3, respectively. The excellent areal capacitance of the MnOx-MEs is attributed to the pseudocapacitive MnOx as well as the three-dimensional architectural framework provided by the carbon micro-pillars.
Stability and Change in In-Group Mate Preferences among Young People in Ethiopia Are Predicted by Food Security and Gender Attitudes, but Not by Expected Pathogen Exposures.

There is broad anthropological interest in understanding how people define “insiders” and “outsiders” and how this shapes their attitudes and behaviors toward others. As such, a suite of hypotheses has been proposed to account for the varying degrees of in-group preference between individuals and societies. We test three hypotheses related to material insecurity, pathogen stress, and views of gender equality among cross-sectional (n = 1896) and longitudinal (n = 1002) samples of young people in Ethiopia (aged 13–17 years at baseline) to explore stability and change in their preferences for coethnic spouses. We show that food insecurity is associated with a greater likelihood of intolerant mate preferences. We also find that young people who hold more gender equitable attitudes tended to hold more tolerant mate preferences. Finally, we find no support for the hypothesis that expected pathogen exposure is associated with intolerant mate preferences. Our results most strongly support a material insecurity hypothesis of in-group bias, which assumes that uncertainty over meeting basic needs leads people to favor those in their in-group. As such, our findings join a small but growing group of studies that highlight the importance of material insecurity for understanding tolerance, xenophobia, in-group bias, and favoritism.
Model for Dendrite Growth Form in Metals and Alloys

Metal specimens were solidified through a measured thermal gradient so a free surface and the liquid-solid interface could be examined. A line structure was observed on the surface and a hexagonal structure on the interface. A model to explain these forms is proposed.
Impact of Seed Cutting and Seed-Borne Inoculum on Daughter Tuber Common Scab and Plant Growth

Common scab (CS), caused primarily by the filamentous, soilborne bacterium Streptomyces scabies, creates significant challenges in the production of quality potato tubers in global growing regions. Over the past several decades, numerous studies been conducted to improve our understanding of the impact of cultural and pesticide treatments for managing the health of progeny daughter tubers. None of the previous studies, however, have addressed differences between the impacts of CS from whole seed vs. cut seed pieces on resulting disease on daughter tubers. A greenhouse trial was conducted during 2013–2014 to assess the impact of seed type and CS severity on plant health and CS on daughter tubers. Cut and suberized ‘Snowden’ seed pieces (~2 oz.) exhibiting 0, 5, and ≥50% CS severity were sown in 3-gal pots containing a 50:50 mix of sterilized sand and field soil. Whole ‘Snowden’ seed tubers (~2 oz.) with the same three levels of CS severity were sown under the same conditions. At harvest, approximately 20% of daughter tubers from asymptomatic seed pieces (both cut and whole) exhibited symptoms of CS. Disease incidence and severity significantly increased for pieces that had 5 and ≥50% CS across both experiments. Plants grown from whole seed had significantly higher yield, on average, when compared to cut seed. Daughter tubers produced from whole seed resulted in higher CS incidence than those from cut seed in one of our two experimental trials. Our results indicated a clear advantage to plant common scab-free seed potatoes with the aim of producing healthier daughter tubers.
A tight-binding molecular dynamics study of the noble metals Cu, Ag and Au

Abstract We have used the Naval Research Lab (NRL) tight-binding (TB) method to study the electronic and mechanical properties of the noble metals. In order to perform molecular dynamics simulations, we used new TB parameters that work well at smaller interatomic distances. The TB parameters were fitted to the fcc, bcc and sc periodic structures and were demonstrated to be transferable and robust for calculating additional dynamical properties which they had not been fitted to. We calculated the phonon frequencies and density of states at finite temperature and we also performed simulations to determine the temperature dependence of the coefficient of thermal expansion and the mean squared displacement. The energy for vacancy formation as well as energy for fcc-based, bcc-based clusters and icosahedral clusters of different sizes were also calculated. The results compared very well with experimental observations and independent (non-fitted) first-principles density functional calculations.
Association of elevated estradiol with remote testicular trauma in young infertile men

Objective To determine the incidence of remote testicular trauma and of possible related permanent hormonal and seminal changes in infertile men. Design Retrospective clinical study of hormonal and seminal parameters in a subpopulation of infertile men. Setting Andrology Clinic in an academic research environment. Participants Infertile men, with and without history of remote testicular trauma, and fertile volunteers. Main Outcome Measures Percentage of infertile men with history of blunt testicular trauma, concentrations of reproductive hormones, and semen parameters. Results Significant remote blunt testicular trauma was reported by 16.8% of infertile men. This had occurred 2 to 17years (mean, 16.4years) before evaluation, mostly with contact sports at adolescent age. Estradiol concentrations after testicular trauma were 19% and 25% higher than in infertile men without history of testicular injury and in fertile controls. Elevated E 2 levels did not correlate with T. Infertile men with and without history of testicular trauma showed changes in seminal parameters. Conclusion The incidence of remote blunt testicular trauma in infertile men is unexpectedly high. After injury, FSH-stimulated aromatization of T may increase testicular E 2 production, interfere with spermatogenesis, and cause infertility. Consistent use of protective devices in contact sports is recommended.
The integrated spectator: theatre audiences and pedagogy

Theatre artists were interviewed to understand how they conceptualise audiences in relation to their own creative and collaborative processes. The authors identified three modes through which theat...
Dense motion estimation

Algorithms for aligning images and estimating motion in video sequences are among the most widely used in computer vision. For example, frame-rate image alignment is widely used in camcorders and digital cameras to implement their image stabilization (IS) feature
Research-Based Parenting Education for Divorcing Parents: A University-Community Collaboration

Focus on Kids (FOK) is a mandated parenting education program for divorcing parents in central Missouri. Although the program is facilitated by faculty in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) at the University of Missouri, its ultimate success relies on an extensive collaboration with many community partners.