cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of repeated daily treatments with a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist on dopamine neurotransmission and functional activity of 5-HT3 receptors within the nucleus accumbens of Wistar rats

Abstract A previous study indicated that pretreatment with repeated daily injections of serotonin-3 (5-HT 3 ) receptor antagonists subsequently reduced the effectiveness of the 5-HT 3 antagonists to attenuate ethanol intake under 24-h free-choice conditions; one possibility to account for this is that the functional activity of the 5-HT 3 receptor may have been altered by prior treatment with the antagonists. The present experiments were conducted to examine the effects of local perfusion of the 5-HT 3 agonist 1-( m -chlorophenyl)-biguanide (CPBG) on the extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens (ACB) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of adult male Wistar rats that had received repeated daily injections of the 5-HT 3 antagonist, MDL 72222 (MDL). In vivo microdialysis was used to test the hypothesis that alterations in 5-HT 3 receptor function have occurred with repeated antagonist injections. One group was given daily injections of MDL (1 mg/kg, s.c.) for 10 consecutive days (MDL group), and the other group was administered saline for 10 days (saline group). On the day after the last treatment, rats were implanted with a unilateral guide cannula aimed at either the ACB or VTA. Two days later, the microdialysis probe was inserted into the guide cannula; on the next day, microdialysis experiments were conducted to determine the extracellular levels of DA in the ACB or VTA. Local perfusion of CPBG (17.5, 35, 70 μM) in the ACB significantly stimulated DA release in the saline- and MDL-treated animals. In terms of percent baseline, the CPBG-stimulated DA release was higher in the MDL-treated group than in the saline-treated group in both the ACB and VTA; however, on the basis of the extracellular concentration, there were no significant differences in the ACB between the two groups. Using the no-net-flux microdialysis, it was determine that the basal extracellular concentration of DA in the ACB was approximately 60% lower in the MDL group than saline group; there was no difference between the groups in the extraction fraction (clearance). Overall, the results suggest that repeated daily treatments with MDL decreased basal DA neurotransmission in the ACB and did not have a clear effect on functional activity of 5-HT 3 receptors in the ACB.
Determining geographic patterns of migration and dispersal using stable isotopes in keratins

Stable isotopes in metabolically inert tissues of migratory animals can be used to infer migratory and dispersal histories. The general approach for estimating geographic origins of migratory animals based on stable isotope values of their keratinous tissues is to develop or calibrate an assignment model based on tissues of known geographic origin. This paper reviews the general forms and evaluates the application of the 3 assignment approaches. Two of these approaches are considered as nominal assignment frameworks because they require prior declaration of named locations as the set of candidate origins. Individual samples can be sorted into the most likely location using a classification tree or a likelihood-based assignment test. The 3rd and more recent approach is considered a continuous assignment framework because it does not require a predetermined list of candidate locations. This approach depends on an underlying mechanistic geographic model of variation in isotope values. Such models can be developed directly from spatially intensive sampling of keratins or by calibrating a spatial model for isotopes in physical (water or soil) or biological (dietary species) resources. Productive approaches to increase spatial resolution of assignment models will use experiments designed to identify specific geographic-based, variance-generating mechanisms, especially if the contributing factors can be quantified for animals that are released back to the wild.
The effects of thyroxine on glycogen stores and oxygen consumption in the leopard frog, Rana pipiens.

Abstract The effects of thyroxine treatment on tissue glycogen content and oxygen consumption of adult Rana pipiens were investigated at 18 and 30°C. At 18°C, (1) thyroxine treatment significantly decreased muscle glycogen (−37%), and increased (+32%) liver glycogen at 16 days; (2) oxygen consumption of thyroxine-treated frogs rose 10%, while that of sham-injected frogs decreased by 17%, from initial values, by the third week. At 30°C, (1) thyroxine treatment significantly decreased (−42%) muscle glycogen from sham levels, by 16 days; liver glycogen was unchanged; (2) thyroxine treatment rapidly increased oxygen consumption (+33% by 15 days) to values significantly higher than those for sham-injected frogs. Cessation of thyroxine injections for 3 days allowed oxygen consumption to fall to control levels.
The coupling of biological iron cycling and mineral weathering during saprolite formation, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

Corestones of quartz diorite bedrock in the Rio Icacos watershed in Puerto Rico weather spheroidally to form concentric sets of partially weathered rock layers (referred to here as rindlets) that slowly transform to saprolite. The rindlet zone (0.2–2 m thick) is overlain by saprolite (2–8 m) topped by soil (0.5–1 m). With the objective of understanding interactions between weathering, substrate availability, and resident micro-organisms, we made geochemical and microbiological measurements as a function of depth in 5 m of regolith (soil + saprolite). We employed direct microscopic counting of total cell densities; enumeration of culturable aerobic heterotrophs; extraction of microbial DNA for yield calculations; and biochemical tests for iron-oxidizing bacteria. Total cell densities, which ranged from 2.5 × 106 to 1.6 × 1010 g−1 regolith, were higher than 108 g−1 at three depths: in the upper 1 m, at 2.1 m, and between 3.7 and 4.9 m, just above the rindlet zone. High proportions of inactive or unculturable cells were indicated throughout the profile by very low percentages of culturable heterotrophs (0.0004% to 0.02% of total cell densities). The observed increases in total and culturable cells and DNA yields at lower depths were not correlated with organic carbon or total iron but were correlated with moisture and HCl-extractable iron. Biochemical tests for aerobic iron-oxidizers were also positive at 0.15–0.6 m, at 2.1–2.4 m, and at 4.9 m depths. To interpret microbial populations within the context of weathering reactions, we developed a model for estimating growth rates of lithoautotrophs and heterotrophs based on measured substrate fluxes. The calculations and observations are consistent with a model wherein electron donor flux driving bacterial growth at the saprolite–bedrock interface is dominated by Fe(II) and where autotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria support the heterotrophic population and contribute to bedrock disaggregation and saprolite formation.
Inhibition of adrenal steroid metabolism by heparin in vivo.

Abstract Liver homogenates prepared from heparin pretreated female rats were assayed for cortisone A ring reducing activity. Heparin treatment had no apparent effect if an NADPH generating system was added to the homogenate, but in the absence of a generating system, cortisone reductase activity was clearly inhibited. When heparin was added to incubating liver slices, cortisone reduction by the slices or by homogenates prepared from them was inhibited. Heparin had an anti-inflammatory effect in the intact rat but not in the adrenalectomized animal. Heparin did, however, potentiate the anti-inflammatory action of cortisol in adrenalectomized rats. The intravascular half-life of corticosterone-4-14C was significantly prolonged after heparin administration. These results indicate that heparin can influence adrenal steroid metabolism in vivo.
Public subsidies, tuition, and public universities’ choices of undergraduate acceptance and retention rates in the USA

We model how public undergraduate universities alter acceptance and retention rates due to changes in tuition and enrollment-based subsidies. Per student subsidies differ for senior and freshman students, as is true in most states. The university accepts students from an applicant pool which is influenced by quality of education and the probability of completion, both of which are influenced by retention rates. The model predicts that changes in admission and retention rates depend on how the applicant pool changes with retention, whether or not net revenue from undergraduate education is positive, and differences between marginal revenue and marginal cost for senior students.
Wavelength references for interferometry in air

Cavity-mode wavelengths in air are determined by measuring a laser’s frequency while it is locked to the mode in vacuum during a calibration step and subsequently correcting the mode wavelength for atmospheric pressure compression, temperature difference, and material aging. Using a Zerodur ring cavity, we demonstrate a repeatability of ±2 × 10−8 (3σ), with the wavelength accuracy limited to ±4 × 10−8 by knowledge of the absolute helium gas temperature during the pressure calibration. Mirror cleaning perturbed the mode frequency by less than Δν/ν ∼ 3 × 10−9, limited by temperature correction residuals.
A clinical evaluation of three modern blood oxygenators

The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of three standard oxygenators in a clinical setting. The oxygenators selected included the Bard H1700, the Bentley CM-50 and the Cobe CML. Fifty CPB procedures were performed on patients undergoing elective CABG procedures in each group and prospectively analysed. Patient related parameters were collected in three subsets: preoperative, operative and postoperative, and organized into a data base on a standard 'Clinfo' system. The groups were then compared for statistically significant differences. The three groups were similar in all demographic and patient management categories examined. Overall morbidity and mortality were not significantly different. Parameters in each of four major biocompatibility categories were found to differ significantly between the three groups. RBC and FFP use, maximum platelet decrease and maximum WBC increase were each improved in the CM L group as compared to the other two groups. The results indicate that the CML offe...
Kinetic Model for Thermal Blooming in the Atmosphere

A kinetic model is proposed to account for the translational heating of the atmosphere in the vicinity of an ir laser beam. The theory required to link the kinetic model to the temperature rise is developed assuming a still atmosphere. The kinetic model and theoretical method are applied to 10-6-micro CO(2) laser radiation propagation.
The Impact of the Multi-divisional Structure on Organizational Slack: The Contingency of Diversification Strategy

This study examines the relationship between multi-divisional (M-form) structure and organizational slack. Findings based on longitudinal analysis data from 62 firms indicate that M-form implementation increases the firm's capacity to manage absorbed slack in the cases of vertically integrated and related diversified firms, and unabsorbed slack in the case of unrelated diversified firms.
Random mutagenesis of the gene for the β-subunit of F1-ATPase from Escherichia coli

ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation in Escherichia coli occurs in catalytic sites on the beta-subunits of F1-ATPase. Random mutagenesis of the beta-subunit combined with phenotypic screening is potentially important for studies of the catalytic mechanism. However, when applied to haploid strains, this approach is hampered by a preponderance of mutants in which assembly of F1-ATPase in vivo is defective, precluding enzyme purification. Here we mutagenized plasmids carrying the uncD (beta-subunit) gene with hydroxylamine or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and isolated, by phenotypic screening and complementation tests, six plasmids carrying mutant uncD alleles. When the mutant plasmids were used to transform a suitable uncD- strain, assembly of F1-ATPase in vivo occurred in each case. Moreover, in one case (beta Gly-223----Asp) F1-ATPase assembly proceeded although it had previously been reported that this mutation, when present on the chromosome of a haploid strain, prevented assembly of the enzyme in vivo. Therefore, this work demonstrates an improved approach for random mutagenesis of the F1-beta-subunit. Six new mutant uncD alleles were identified: beta Cys-137----Tyr; beta Gly-142----Asp; beta Gly-146----Ser; beta Gly-207----Asp; beta-Gly-223----Asp; and a double mutant beta Pro-403----Ser,Gly-415----Asp which we could not separate. The first five of these lie within or very close to the predicted catalytic nucleotide-binding domain of the beta-subunit. The double mutant lies outside this domain; we speculate that the region around residues beta 403-415 is part of an alpha-beta intersubunit contact surface. Membrane ATPase and ATP-driven proton pumping activities were impaired by all six mutations. Purified F1-ATPase was obtained from each mutant and shown to have impaired specific ATPase activity.
Explorations in the use of semantic web technologies for product information management

Master data refers to core business entities a company uses repeatedly across many business processes and systems (such as lists or hierarchies of customers, suppliers, accounts, products, or organizational units). Product information is the most important kind of master data and product information management (PIM) is becoming critical for modern enterprises because it provides a rich business context for various applications. Existing PIM systems are less flexible and scalable for on-demand business, as well as too weak to completely capture and use the semantics of master data. This paper explores how to use semantic web technologies to enhance a collaborative PIM system by simplifying modeling and representation while preserving enough dynamic flexibility. Furthermore, we build a semantic PIM system using one of the state-of-art ontology repositories and summarize the challenges we encountered based on our experimental results, especially on performance and scalability. We believe that our study and experiences are valuable for both semantic web community and master data management community.
A High-Fat, High-Fructose Diet Accelerates Nutrient Absorption and Impairs Net Hepatic Glucose Uptake in Response to a Mixed Meal in Partially Pancreatectomized Dogs

The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of a high-fat, high-fructose diet (HFFD; fat, 52%; fructose, 17%), in the presence of a partial (;65%) pancreatectomy (PPx), on the response of the liver and extrahepatic tissues to an orally administered, liquid mixed meal. Adult male dogs were fed either a nonpurified, canine control diet (CTR; fat, 26%; no fructose; n = 5) or a HFFD (n = 5) for 8 wk. Diets were provided in a quantity to maintain neutral or positive energy balance in CTR or HFFD, respectively. Dogs underwent a sham operation or PPx at wk 0, portal and hepatic vein catheterization at wk 6, and a mixed meal test at wk 8. Postprandial glucose concentrations were significantly greater in the HFFD group (14.5 6 2.0 mmol/L) than in the CTR group (9.2 6 0.5 mmol/L). Impaired glucose tolerance in HFFD was due in part to accelerated gastric emptying and glucose absorption, as indicated by a more rapid rise in arterial plasma acetaminophen and the rate of glucose output by the gut, respectively, in HFFD than in CTR. It was also attributable to lower net hepatic net hepatic glucose uptake (NHGU) in HFFD group (5.5 6 3.9 mmol × kg 21 × min 21 ) compared to the CTR group (26.6 6 7.0 mmol × kg 21 × min 21 ), resulting in lower hepatic glycogen synthesis (GSYN) in the HFFD group (10.8 6 5.4 mmol × kg 21 × min 21 ) than in the CTR group (30.4 6 7.0 mmol × kg 21 × min 21 ). HFFD also displayed aberrant suppression of lipolysis by insulin. In conclusion, HFFD feeding accelerates gastric emptying and diminishes NHGU and GSYN, thereby impairing glucose tolerance following a mixed meal challenge. These data reveal a constellation of deleterious metabolic consequences associated with consumption of a HFFD for 8 wk. J. Nutr. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.145359.
The Limitations of Interconnections in Providing Communication Between an Array of Points

We present a comparative analysis of optical, normally conducting, re-peatered and superconducting interconnection performance in a very large scale digital computing environment. We derive tradeoff relations between delay, bandwidth and system size for each technology based on communication (wiring) volume and heat removal considerations and discuss their numerical and asymptotic properties. We show that the bisection-bandwidth and bisection-inverse delay products—which are appropriate measures of performance for communication limited applications—are bounded from above for normally conducting layouts, whereas they may be arbitrarily increased for repeatered, optical and superconducting layouts. The latter two are shown to suffer slower growth rate of signal delay with increasing system size in 3 dimensions than repeatered interconnections and thus offer the best performance. Based on the considerations of this paper, the comparison between optical and superconducting interconnections for same dimensional layouts reduces to a comparison of their respective communication energies.
Technology and Secondary Writing: A Review of the Literature

This article reports a review of the literature that focused on relationship between writing instruction and technology in the secondary classroom since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act over the past two decades. Based on the search, six themes have emerged across the fields of writing instruction and assessment. Within writing instruction, it was found that researchers often focused on a third space (Bhabha, 1994) where writing can take place in meaningful ways. Also, technology often served as a motivator during the instructional process of writing and worked to engage students in varied lessons. Finally, researchers found an increase in the amount of writing for secondary students when technology was introduced into the instructional classroom. Within writing assessment, the research focused on special populations including special education students, minorities, economically disadvantaged and English language learners. Next, technology served as a motivator in both the instruction and assessment of writing and tended to be a factor that increased writing assessment scores. Finally, researchers posit technology can be used to allow teachers to give effective and efficient feedback through the instructional and assessment cycles and tended to increase student assessment scores. These themes emerged across all articles reviewed and truly demonstrate where writing with technology research has occurred in the secondary classroom.
Evolutionary drivers of mast-seeding in a long-lived desert shrub

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The evolutionary drivers and proximal regulators of mast-seeding are well understood for species of mesic environments, but how these regulators interact with high spatial and interannual variability in growing-season precipitation for a masting species in a desert environment has never been examined. METHOD We followed flowering and seed production in 16 populations of the North American desert shrub blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) from contrasting environments across its range over an 11-year period to determine patterns of interannual reproductive output variation. KEY RESULT Patterns of reproductive output in blackbrush did not track current growing season precipitation, but instead were regulated by prior-year weather cues. The strength of the response to the masting cue depended on habitat quality, with higher mean reproductive output, shorter intervals between years of high seed production, and lower CVp at more favorable sites. Wind pollination efficiency was demonstrated to be an important evolutionary driver of masting in blackbrush, and satiation of heteromyid seed predator-dispersers was supported as an evolutionary driver based on earlier studies. CONCLUSIONS Both the evolutionary drivers and proximal regulators of masting in blackbrush are similar to those demonstrated for masting species of mesic environments. Relatively low synchrony across populations in response to regional masting cues occurs at least partly because prior-year environmental cues can trigger masting efforts in years with resource limitation due to suboptimal precipitation, especially in more xeric low-elevation habitats.
Spontaneous LIMA graft dissection in a patient with fibromuscular dysplasia.

A 52-year-old female with a history of hypertension and fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) experienced chest pain and acute heart failure secondary to spontaneous left main coronary (LM) artery dissection ( Panel A ) requiring coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. Three years later, she presented with mild chronic shortness of breath (SOB) secondary to heart failure …
Abstract 4744: Development of an immunoproteasome fluorescent substrate: A functional proteomics tool

Introduction: This research was conducted to develop the first immunoproteasome fluorescent substrate. The immunoproteasome is an alternate form of the constitutive proteasome with distinct catalytic subunits. While immunoproteasomes appear to generate peptides for MHC class I antigen presentation, their functions are still not completely understood. Antibody-based studies have shown that immunoproteasome catalytic subunits are expressed in a variety of cancers, suggesting they may play important roles in this disease. However, antibodies bind both active and inactive subunits, rendering these studies incapable of correlating immunoproteasome activity with disease progression. Although fluorescent peptide substrates are widely used to monitor proteasome activity, those currently available are cleaved by both forms of the proteasome. Therefore, fluorescent substrates selectively cleaved by the immunoproteasome are needed to correlate their activity with cancer progression. Experimental Procedures: The fluorescent substrate was synthesized by replacing the epoxyketone pharmacophore of the immunoproteasome-selective inhibitor YU-102 with a 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC) fluorogenic moiety. The rates of hydrolysis of the resulting substrate, YU-102-AMC, by both purified constitutive proteasomes and immunoproteasomes were evaluated by monitoring the release of AMC over time. Hydrolysis of this substrate was also investigated in T1 and T2 cell lysates. Data Summary: The structure of the fluorescent substrate YU-102-AMC was confirmed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. YU-102-AMC was preferentially cleaved by purified immunoproteasomes in comparison with purified constitutive proteasomes. This preferential cleavage by immunoproteasomes was confirmed in lysates of cancer cell lines T1 and T2. Conclusions: We have successfully developed YU-102-AMC, an immunoproteasome fluorescent substrate which facilitates quantification of immunoproteasome activity in cancer cell lysates. This substrate will be utilized to examine a correlation between immunoproteasome activity and cancer progression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4744. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4744
Authority, gender, and monastic piety: controversies at the English Benedictine convent in Brussels, 1620–1623

This essay illuminates a little-known chapter in the history of English Catholicism by examining the controversies among the English Benedictine convent at Brussels between 1620 and 1623. The disputes began as a simple clash of personalities between Abbess Mary Percy and the house’s ordinary confessor Robert Chambers, and they culminated in allegations by pro-Jesuit nuns and confessors that Francis Ward, a second ordinary confessor, was attempting to seduce one of his penitents. These early clashes illustrate the cultural and gender politics of the Continental convents established for Englishwomen during the seventeenth century. By nature a female-oriented institution, the cloister encouraged women to attain monastic versions of stereotypical feminine virtues. Gender consequently provided a convenient means of understanding, evaluating, and politicizing monastic piety. As this paper will show, individuals who held little to no official power at Brussels used gender stereotypes to legitimize their interventions in the convent’s affairs. Nuns, confessors, and anonymous outsiders attempted to diminish the spiritual authority of Percy and Ward by raising the spectre of traditionally feminine vices. Within the woman-centred space of the Brussels convent, gender thus became an essential means of claiming moral authority and addressing larger concerns over monastic order and spiritual direction. 1
Optical Spectroscopy and Photochemistry of Thin Films of Propylmethylpolyazine

Propylmethylpolyazine, [N=C(R1)-C(R2)=N]X (R1=CH3, R2=CH2CH2CH3), is an organic-soluble linear conjugated polymer. The ultraviolet spectrum of thin films of this material shows two peaks at about 280 nm and 320 nm. These absorptions are ascribed to transitions from different filled valence bands to the same empty conduction band. Oxidative doping of this polymer with iodine gives spectra that are consistent with the generation of bipolarons. Irradiation of pristine thin films with 300 nm light causes a two step photoprocess to occur. The first step happens during the first hour of irradiation and if the film is left in the dark is completely reversible. The second step takes considerably longer to complete (more than 12 hr of irradiation) and is irreversible. The UV spectrum and FTIR spectrum of the step one photoproduct suggest that the imine bond is undergoing an E to Z isomerization photochem-ically which reverses in the dark. The step two product is probably due to a cycloaddition reaction.
Threshold of the Enterogastric Reflex.

Conclusions1) Duration of inhibition of gastric motility varies directly with volume and concentration of HCl solutions introduced into the duodenum. 0.075 N HCl produces definitely shorter inhibition than was previously found with equal volumes of 0.1 N HCl. When concentration of HCl is reduced to 0.01 N and volume reduced to 25 cc, the inhibitory period is very brief, lasting only 3 minutes. 2. In 3 patients with complete histamine achlorhydria, the inhibitory effect of intraduodenal acid on gastric motility was the same as that in individuals with normal gastric secretion.
A soluble form of the human Fc receptor FcγRIIA : cloning, transcript analysis and detection

The Fc gamma receptors (Fc gamma R) are glycoproteins that bind the Fc region of immunoglobulin G. Human hematopoietic cells express three biochemically distinct classes of Fc gamma receptors: Fc gamma RI (CD64), Fc gamma RII (CD32) and Fc gamma RIII (CD16). Complementary DNA (cDNA) clones for each of the human Fc gamma receptors have been isolated from myeloid and lymphoid cells. We describe the isolation and characterization of four Fc gamma RII clones from a cDNA library obtained from a megakaryocyte-like cell line, human erythroleukemia (HEL). Three clones encode the Fc gamma RIIA transmembrane (TM) form, while one novel clone lacks the TM region but retains the cytoplasmic domain. By conducting reverse transcription coupled to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we found transcripts coding for this unique form of receptor in RNA from platelets, HEL cells and a second megakaryocyte-like cell line, CHRF-288-11. These results were confirmed by RNase protection analysis of RNA from HEL cells. The structure of the novel cDNA suggested that it codes for a soluble form of Fc gamma RIIA. A soluble Fc gamma RII protein was detected in the conditioned medium from HEL cells but not from the Fc gamma RII-negative T cell line, Jurkat, by immunoprecipitation with the anti-Fc gamma RII monoclonal antibody (mAb), IV.3. The immunoprecipitated protein was of the expected size for a soluble Fc gamma RII lacking the TM region but retaining the cytoplasmic domain. Soluble Fc gamma RIIA may be important in modulating the interaction between immune complexes and membrane-associated Fc gamma RII.
Design of Injectable Materials to Improve Stem Cell Transplantation

Stem cell-based therapies are steadily gaining traction for regenerative medicine approaches to treating disease and injury throughout the body. While a significant body of work has shown success in preclinical studies, results often fail to translate in clinical settings. One potential cause is the massive transplanted cell death that occurs post injection, preventing functional integration with host tissue. Therefore, current research is focusing on developing injectable hydrogel materials to protect cells during delivery and to stimulate endogenous regeneration through interactions of transplanted cells and host tissue. This review explores the design of targeted injectable hydrogel systems for improving the therapeutic potential of stem cells across a variety of tissue engineering applications with a focus on hydrogel materials that have progressed to the stage of preclinical testing.
Capacity for financial decision making in multiple sclerosis.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cognitive impairment often occurs in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and dysfunction involving executive function, new learning, and working memory is especially common. Compromised activities of daily living are linked to this cognitive impairment, and people with MS are apt to be unemployed and struggle to manage domestic responsibilities. Financial decision making is an important activity of daily living, and no study has examined whether it is compromised by neuropsychological dysfunction in people with MS. Method: A battery of neuropsychological tests and a measure of financial decision making (Financial Capacity Instrument, FCI: Marson, D. C. 2001. Loss of financial capacity in dementia: Conceptual and empirical approaches. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 8, 164–181) were administered to 50 participants (34 patients with MS and 16 cognitively healthy adults). Based on the neuropsychological test results, 14 patients were classified as having cognitive impairment, an...
Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation: A Case Study and Case Comparison

Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a rare congenital lung mass of the fetus that can present as solid or cystic. This is often diagnosed prenatally with sonography and routinely fol...
What parents don't know: Disclosure and secrecy in a sample of urban adolescents.

Research with two-parent European households has suggested that secrecy, and not disclosure of information per se, predicts adolescent adjustment difficulties. The present study attempted to replicate this finding using data from a 4-wave study of 358 poor, urban adolescents (47% male; M age = 12 yrs) in the United States, most of whom (>92%) were African American. Adolescents self-reported secrecy, disclosure, depressive symptoms, and delinquency at each wave. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a two-factor model with secrecy and disclosure as separate, but correlated, factors was a better fit than a one-factor model. However, predictive models differed from previous research. Secrecy did not predict depressive symptoms, rather depressive symptoms predicted secrecy. For delinquency, there were significant paths from both secrecy to delinquency and delinquency to secrecy, as well as from delinquency to disclosure. These results did not differ by age or sex. Comparisons with previous findings are discussed.
Hemophilia: What the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Needs to Know

Hemophilia will be encountered in the oral and maxillofacial surgeon's office. A thorough understanding of hemophilia is necessary to safely care for these patients. One must understand the severity of the patient's hemophilia as well as whether or not inhibitors are present. The patient's surgical management will be influenced by these two factors. In addition to the possible need to transfuse factors or desmopressin, special care must be taken perioperatively to avoid bleeding complications. This article reviews the overall management of hemophilia A and B as well as the specific perioperative management of these patients.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation for Follicular Lymphoma in First Remission: Bone Marrow Involvement at Harvest and PCR Detectable Disease after Ex Vivo Purging Predict Relapse.

Abstract ASCT improves progression-free and likely overall survival in patients with relapsed follicular lymphoma. Randomized trials of ASCT as upfront therapy have generally also found an improvement in progression-free survival, but this benefit has been counterbalanced by an increase in second malignancies. We report the long-term outcome of two sequential prospective clinical trials of autologous bone marrow transplantation for advanced stage follicular lymphoma patients under 60 in first remission. In the 1st study 83 previously untreated patients received 6–8 cycles of CHOP induction and in the 2nd study 20 patients received 4 cycles of high-dose CHOP induction (cyclophosphamide 1.5 g/m2 d1–2 with g-csf support). The median age of the patients was 42 (range 19–57). 17% had high FLIPI scores, 58% intermediate and 25% low; all patients were under 60 and 21% had missing data required in the FLIPI. 96% had stage III or IV disease. 77 of 83 patients on the 1st study, and 19 of 20 on the 2nd study (N=96 total), achieved a protocol-defined minimal disease state after CHOP induction (
PhagesDB: the actinobacteriophage database.

The Actinobacteriophage Database (PhagesDB) is a comprehensive, interactive, database-backed website that collects and shares information related to the discovery, characterization and genomics of viruses that infect Actinobacterial hosts. To date, more than 8000 bacteriophages-including over 1600 with sequenced genomes-have been entered into the database. PhagesDB plays a crucial role in organizing the discoveries of phage biologists around the world-including students in the SEA-PHAGES program-and has been cited in over 50 peer-reviewed articles. Availability and implementation http://phagesdb.org/. Contact gfh@pitt.edu.
Differential sensitivity at the cellular level in primary open-angle glaucoma: prednisolone and ouabain.

The concentration of drug necessary to inhibit lymphocyte transformation by 50 per cent (I50 value) was determined for the glucocorticoid prednisolone-21-phosphate, and for the sodium-potassium adenosinetriphosphatase inhibitor ouabain, in 37 persons representing the full range of ocular and cellular glucocorticoid sensitivity. The lymphocytes of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, and of high ocular responders to glucocorticoids, were more sensitive to prednisolone-21-phosphate than were those of ocular low and intermediate responders. By contrast, there was no significant difference in sensitivity to ouabain. There was also no significant correlation of lymphocyte sensitivity to prednisolone-21-phosphate with that to ouabain. These results provide indirect evidence that the increased cellular sensitivity to glucocorticoids in primary open-angle glaucoma is a specific effect, and not merely representative of a general vulnerability of "sick cells."
Memórias de Aníbal S. Branco: Viagem a Portugal em 1955

Anibal S. Branco emigrated from Portugal to the United States in 1924, and, soon after, he attained prominence in journalistic and associative circles. Due to its cultural and historical value as well as contribution to our understanding of Portuguese American history, we publish in this issue of IJPDS one of Anibal S. Branco’s essays, “Viageiros da Saudade.” In this essay, Branco recounts a visit that he and his American-born wife, Mercedes F. Branco, took to Portugal in 1955.Anibal S. Branco emigrou de Portugal para os Estados Unidos em 1924, atingindo logo depois proeminencia em circulos jornalisticos e associativos. Tendo em conta o seu valor cultural e historico, assim como o seu contributo para o conhecimento da historia luso-americana, publicamos nesta edicao do IJPDS um dos ensaios de Anibal S. Branco, “Viageiros da Saudade.” Neste texto, Branco relata uma visita que ele e a sua esposa luso-americana, Mercedes F. Branco, fizeram a Portugal em 1955.
Racial/ethnic disparities: need more work!

In this issue of Blood, Kirtane and Lee shed light on an important aspect of hematologic malignancies: the issue of racial and ethnic disparities. As pointed out by the authors, such patterns are well documented for solid tumors but less is known about hematologic malignancies. As the American population continues to become more diverse, it is of major importance that outcomes for all racial and ethnic groups continue to improve.
'Provide All Women a Voice': A Qualitative Study of First-Generation Mexican Immigrant Women's Experiences with Midwives in the United States

ABSTRACTPrevious research has explored the unique approaches of midwives in providing maternity care, but only limited information is available on how immigrant women experience childbirth with midwives in the United States. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 first-generation Mexican immigrant women and five certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) who cared for them at a public clinic. The mothers described their experiences with CNMs as positive and felt supported in retaining cultural traditions. The CNMs strived to provide culturally competent care by allowing women a voice. The findings reflect the active role that health care professionals can play as immigrants adapt to new sociocultural contexts.
Li0.33La0.557TiO3 ceramic nanofiber-enhanced polyethylene oxide-based composite polymer electrolytes for all-solid-state lithium batteries

A polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based composite solid polymer electrolyte filled with one-dimensional (1D) ceramic Li0.33La0.557TiO3 (LLTO) nanofibers was designed and prepared. It exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 2.4 × 10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature and a large electrochemical stability window of up to 5.0 V vs. Li/Li+, and is a promising electrolyte candidate for all solid-state lithium batteries.
A planning/scheduling methodology for the constrained resource problem

This paper presents a new planning/scheduling methodology for the constrained resource problem (CRP), in which the amount of available resources is limited and usually monotonically diminishing as the planning process progresses. The tasks are tightly-coupled since they compete for the limited resources. Two domain independent policies -- most-constraint and least-tmpact help to make this planning/scheduling approach sensitive to dynamic interactions among tasks. The most-constraint policy selects a task dynamically according to the criticality, which measures how a task is constrained by task interaction. The least-impact policy dynamically chooses a solution for the selected task according to the cruciality of each possible solution, which expresses the impact on the rest of the unachieved tasks. These policies have enhanced the operability and measurability of problem solving by planning/scheduling. Hence, this method can provide realistic and executable planning/scheduling guidelines for CRP solvers. This model has been successfully applied to several CRPs in which the amount of backtracking has been reduced dramatically.
The Restoration of a Fourth Year of Graduate Training in Psychiatry: Guidelines to Anticipated Problems

The new requirements for psychiatric training beginning in July, 1977, extend the training period from three to four years. A minimum of four months of the four years must be spent on primary care medical services. These changes are likely to present problems for psychiatric residency training programs. Guidelines for anticipated problems such as program funding, expanding institutional affiliations, stipend and fringe supports, rotations on primary care services, and filling traditional first-year residency positions in 1977 are offered.
Deep Learning for Link Prediction in Dynamic Networks Using Weak Estimators

Link prediction is the task of evaluating the probability that an edge exists in a network, and it has useful applications in many domains. Traditional approaches rely on measuring the similarity between two nodes in a static context. Recent research has focused on extending link prediction to a dynamic setting, predicting the creation and destruction of links in networks that evolve over time. Though a difficult task, the employment of deep learning techniques has shown to make notable improvements to the accuracy of predictions. To this end, we propose the novel application of weak estimators in addition to the utilization of traditional similarity metrics to inexpensively build an effective feature vector for a deep neural network. Weak estimators have been used in a variety of machine learning algorithms to improve model accuracy, owing to their capacity to estimate the changing probabilities in dynamic systems. Experiments indicate that our approach results in increased prediction accuracy on several real-world dynamic networks.
Co-pyrolysis of cotton stalk and waste tire with a focus on liquid yield quantity and quality

Abstract In this study, effect of waste tire (WT) addition to cotton stalk (CS) pyrolysis is investigated with a focus on liquid co-pyrolysis yield quantity and quality. Various blend ratios (i.e. CS/WT 1:0, 4:1, 3:2, 2:3, 0:1) of the two feedstocks were experimented in a fixed bed reactor at 20 °C/min heating ramp rate up to 550 °C with 50 ml/min flowrate of nitrogen as sweeping gas. Blend ratio CS/WT (2:3) showed maximum oil yield (48 wt%) with organic phase (OP) above 78 wt% of the total liquid yield (OP + aqueous phase, AP). OP of CS/WT (2:3) along with those of CS/WT (1:0) and (0:1) were further analyzed qualitatively using analytical techniques including, FTIR, GC-MS, bomb calorimetry and elemental analyzer. Significant increase in carbon and decrease in oxygen content of the CS/WT (2:3) pyrolytic oil was observed which improved its calorific value to 41 MJ/kg. Among the three OP samples, only CS/WT (2:3) oil showed significant presence of alkanes in GC-MS results, which is, thus, associated with the synergistic effect of the co-pyrolysis process. Addition of WT to CS pyrolysis feedstock improved liquid yield and its quality, thus requiring lesser further processing for its commercial use as compared to that of CS/WT (1:0) oil.
Acute Coronary Syndromes in Heart Transplant Recipients (from a National Database Analysis).

With an expanding and aging heart transplant population, the incidence of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is expected to increase. Our study aims to report current trends in in-hospital management and outcomes in heart transplant recipients presenting with ACS. We conducted an analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (2007 to 2014) to study the trends in hospitalization, in-hospital management, and outcomes in heart transplant recipients with a primary diagnosis of ACS. We included patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and those with unstable angina pectoris (UAP). A total of 1,621 ACS (NSTEMI/UAP—76% vs STEMI—24%) hospitalizations were identified. Despite 1,327 (81%) of patients who underwent left heart catheterization, coronary revascularization was performed in only 576 patients (36%). Mortality was significantly higher in patients presenting with STEMI versus NSTEMI/UAP (28% vs 11%, respectively; p
LMTK3 as a novel regulator of oncogenic KIT in KIT-mutant cancers.

11044Background: Multiple cancers, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and melanoma, have been shown to be caused by somatic activating mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT. The...
Some Lessons from the Great Inflations

From the mid-1960s to the 1980s, the world experienced the most prolonged and widespread peacetime inflation in recorded history. For the years 1965–88, not a single country had a zero or negative average rate of inflation (World Bank, 1990). The lowest reported average rate is 2 per cent (Rwanda). Two countries, Bolivia and Argentina, have average rates of more than 150 per cent for the 23 year period, and 44 countries have average rates in double digits or above. In the seven major developed countries compound annual rates of inflation ranged from 5 per cent to more than 15 per cent in the years of peak inflation, 1970–82 (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 1990).
Balancing Act: A Theory on the Interactions Between High-Level Task-thinking and Low-Level Implementation-thinking of Novice Programmers

Prior studies suggest that novice programmers approach problems by retrieving previously-learned plans. These plans can be high-level (encompassing decomposition and composition of tasks) or low-level (focused mainly on code). What happens when novices face programming problems that compose tasks in new ways or that involve tasks they haven't seen before? How do they move between high-level tasks and low-level code? What does this suggest about how to teach programming?To explore these questions, we interviewed and conducted think-alouds with CS1 students at two universities as they solved multi-task programming problems (e.g. Rainfall). Our initial analyses point to a theory describing the interaction between students' high-level, task-oriented thinking, and low-level, code-oriented thinking. Students who strike a balance between these two types of thinking tend to successfully solve our programming problems. Students who fail tilt this balance in some way: students may retrieve low-level code for familiar tasks, but fail to compose these without the high-level insight about the tasks' compositions. Others may articulate high-level tasks and even task-compositions, but lack concrete patterns to actualize the tasks.
Identification of the degradation products of a crosslinked polyester using LC-MS

Abstract In the process of developing new biomedical devices, in addition to meeting the required criteria for their intended applications, it is imperative to also identify the degradation products over the lifetime of their intended use. Determining the major degradation products from a device is an important consideration when completing the biological evaluation of medical devices under the ISO 10993 series guidelines. Furthermore, adequate identification of the degradation products may provide preliminary insights into potentially toxic products that may arise as the device degrades. We developed a method that can be used to identify the degradation products of a polyester intended to be used as a medical device. A biodegradable polyester prepared from thiomalic acid, 1,8-octanediol and maleic acid and its nitric oxide (NO)-releasing analogue degraded over a 10-week period was used as a model system. Using a reproducible liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method, we resolved and identified major component over the degradation process. Our method highlights the advantages of using LC-MS to accurately identify the components of degradation and provides a framework for future biomedical device studies.
Exploring Sheila Keegan’s World of Commercial Qualitative Research

The world of commercial qualitative research reflects an emergent and exciting area of contemporary qualitative research which might not be all that familiar to academic qualitative researchers. Traditionally mentored in an oral and experiential fashion, the next generation of market qualitative researchers are benefiting from new books such as Sheila Keegan’s Qualitative Research: Good Decision Making through Understanding People, Cultures and Markets to learn how to address their clients’ needs for gaining insights into their customers’ perspectives. Academic-oriented qualitative researchers can also benefit from Keegan’s insights into this similar but different realm of qualitative inquiry