cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plant Morphology and Forage Nutritive Value of Three Bahiagrasses as Affected by Harvest Frequency

Differences in morphological development have been reported among bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) cultivars. Relationships of harvest management to these developmental differences and subsequent forage production and nutritive value have not been characterized. A 2-yr study was initiated by harvesting 'Argentine', 'Pensacola', and 'Tifton 9' bahiagrass every 20, 30, or 40 d from mid-May until mid-September. Objectives were to determine if differences exist among these cultivars for leafiness, morphological development, forage mass, and forage nutritive value, and to determine if differences were affected by harvest frequency and season of growth. Leaf percentage by weight, inflorescence development, forage nutritive value, and forage mass were evaluated for monocultures of the three cultivars. Argentine had a greater (P = 0.01) percent leaf (87.2%) than did Pensacola (80.4%) or Tifton 9 (81.0%). In addition, Argentine and Tifton 9 produced fewer (P = 0.01) inflorescences at 20- and 30-d harvest frequencies than did Pensacola. Leaf percentage was greater (P = 0.01) at 20- (88.7%) than at 30- (78.6%) and 40-d (81.4%) harvest frequencies. There were cultivar X plant part interactions (P < 0.05) for neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and lignin, but differences were detected only in the stem component. No differences (P ≤ 0.05) were detected among cultivars for other nutritive value variables. Total forage mass was similar (P ≤ 0.05) among cultivars. Differences in forage mass were detected (P = 0.01) only at the first harvest, where Argentine produced less forage (19 Mg ha -1 ) than Pensacola (3.1 Mg ha -1 ) or Tifton 9 (2.9 Mg ha -1 ). The combination of greater leaf percentage and fewer inflorescences indicate that Argentine could have potential advantages as a forage over other bahiagrass cultivars.
Culture of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Studies of basal cell carcinoma have been hindered by a lack of a suitable and reproducible tissue-culture model system. We have succeeded in growing this tumor in primary culture from eight different patients. We can separate and grow the tumor cells and the stromal cell component. We also culture normal keratinocytes and fibroblasts from the same patient for comparative studies. All the cell types have been subcultured four to five times and cryopreserved. The normal keratinocytes were indistinguishable from the tumor cells in ploidy, in rate of growth, and in the failure to express ICAM- 1. Both cell types also fail to synthesize the matrix proteins: types I and IV collagens. Differences were noted in the expression of fibronectin and the bullous pemphigoid antigen, with the normal cells expressing the antigens although the tumor cells did not. Interferons exogenously added to the culture media preferentially killed the basal cell carcinoma cells, as compared to normal keratinocytes from the same patients. We believe chat our culture system opens possibilities for biochemical and molecular studies of this disease, and for in vitro testing of antitumor agents for clinical therapy.
Free and humic‐bound carbohydrates leached from leaves of four floodplain tree species

Abstract Free and humic‐bound carbohydrates were measured in rainfall leached through leaves of four floodplain tree species. Leaf material differed in the total amount of leachable carbohydrates as well as in the form of carbohydrate released, i.e. free versus humic‐bound. Red maple (Acer rubrum) contained the greatest amount of cumulative total leachable carbohydrates, followed by sweetgum (Liquidambar styracifula), sweet bay (Magnolia virginiana), and white oak (Quercus alba). Sweetgum leachate contained the highest percentage of free carbohydrates (69%), followed by sweet bay (29%), red maple (26%), and white oak (23%). Greatest amounts of free carbohydrates in all species were leached during the initial two to three rainfalls of the experiment.
A constraint on the universal baryon density from the abundance of 7 Li

THE observed interstellar abundance of 2H has been used1,2 to estimate the mean baryon density (ρb) of the Universe. This follows, because (1) there is no plausible source for 2H other than the primordial big bang and (2) the production of 2H in a standard big bang decreases rapidly with increasing ρb. If one then assumes that all 2H was formed in a big bang, the observed abundance2 of this nuclide requires a value of ρb sufficiently low1 that, for a cosmological constant Λ = 0, the present expansion of the Universe will continue forever and the Universe is open. A major weakness in this argument is that another source of 2H may be found. It has been suggested, for example, that 2H could be made in shock waves accompanying a supernova explosion; this now seems unlikely3, but other mechanisms will certainly be suggested, so that it is important to obtain confirmation of the above conclusion. The predicted production of 7Li in a big bang2 varies rapidly with ρb and could be used to estimate ρb if the fraction of the observed 7Li made in the big bang were known. Unfortunately there are many possible sources4 of7 Li and such estimates must be regarded with scepticism. In this note we point out that 7Li can be used to place an upper limit on ρb, even if other production mechanisms are important, and that this limit also strongly favours an open universe. This possibility arises because the big bang production of 7Li increases with increasing ρb (for ρb>10−31) so that an upper limit is obtained by attributing all of the observed 7Li to the big bang.
Study of C60 transport in porous media and the effect of sorbed C60 on naphthalene transport

In this study, the transport of water-stable “nano-C60 particles” (a term used to refer to underivatized C60 crystalline nanoparticles, stable in water for months) through a soil column (packed with Lula soil, 0.27% organic carbon) was investigated for the first time. Nano-C60 particle breakthrough experiments were conducted at different flow rates, while other column operating parameters remained fixed through all the experiments. Nano-C60 particles were observed to be more mobile at higher flow velocity: at the flow velocity of 0.38 m/d, the maximum percent of nano-C60 breakthrough (C/C0) was 47%; at the flow velocity of 3.8 m/d, the plateau value of nano-C60 breakthrough was 60%; and at the flow velocity of 11.4 m/d, the plateau value of nano-C60 breakthrough was almost 80%. At the low flow velocity (0.38 m/d), which is typical of groundwater flow, nano-C60 particles showed very limited mobility: after about 57 pore volumes, they deposited to the soil column so rapidly that virtually no nano-C60 was detected in the effluent. This observed “favorable deposition” (attachment efficiency α = 1) was probably due to “filter ripening.” Also the release of nano-C60 particles after flow interruption was observed. The transport of naphthalene through the same soil column containing 0.18% nano-C60 particles deposited was measured. A retardation factor of about 13 was observed, possibly suggesting that sorbed nano-C60 particles in the soil column sorbed naphthalene similar to soil organic carbon. An asymmetric naphthalene breakthrough curve was observed, which is possibly due to “sorption nonequilibrium.”
The Challenge of Sustainability: the Difficulty of Operating Rural PC Kiosks

India is a thriving testing ground for people working in "Information and Communication Technology for Development," or ICT4D. Many of these projects take the form of a PC being taken to a rural village and operated like a small Internet cafe or kiosk, with the two-pronged goals of making socio-economic impact and turning the kiosk into a profitable micro-enterprise. A mounting body of evidence indicates, however, that it is extremely difficult to meet both goals simultaneously. I will give an overview of some work done at MSR India in this area, offer some analysis on what makes the goals challenging, and suggest some areas for future exploration.
JANUS-II: towards spontaneous Spanish speech recognition

JANUS-II is a research system for investigating various issues in speech-to-speech translations and has been implemented for translations in many languages. In this paper, we address the Spanish speech recognition part of JANUS-II. First, we report the bootstrapping and optimization of the recognition system. Then we investigate the difference between push-to-talk and cross-talk dialogs, which are two different kinds of data in our database. We give a detailed noise analysis for the push-to-talk and cross-talk dialogs and present some recognition results for comparison. We have observed that the cross-talk dialogs are harder than the push-to-talk dialogs for speech recognition, because they are more noisy than the latter. Currently, the error rate of our Spanish recognizer is 27% for the push-to-talk test set and 32% for the cross-talk test set.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder spectrum as a scientific "metaphor"

As a result of clinical, epidemiological, neuroimaging, and therapy studies that took place in the late 1980s, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been well-characterized in the field of anxiety disorders. Other disorders attracted attention for their similarities to OCD, and were located in the orbit of the disorder. OCD has become known as the "primary domain" of a scientific "metaphor" comprising the putative cluster of OCD-related disorders (OCRDs). It is a "paradigm" with which to explore basal ganglia dysfunction. The OCRDs share common phenomenology, comorbidities, lifetime course, demographics, possible genetics, and frontostriatal dysfunction (particularly caudate hyperactivity.) The adoption of this metaphor analogy has proven useful. However, 15 years since its emergence, the spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorders remains controversial. Questions under debate include whether OCD is a unitary or split condition, whether it is an anxiety disorder, and whether there exists only one spectrum or several possible spectrums. Further work is needed to clarify obsessive-compulsive symptoms, subtypes, and endophenotypes. There is need to integrate existing databases, better define associated symptom domains, and create a more comprehensive endophenotyping protocol for OCRDs. There is also a need to integrate biological and psychological perspectives, concepts, and data to drive this evolution. By increasing research in this field, the OCD spectrum may evolve from a fragmented level of conceptualization as a "metaphor" to one that is more comprehensive and structured.
Automatic reduction of hyperspectral imagery using wavelet spectral analysis

Hyperspectral imagery provides richer information about materials than multispectral imagery. The new larger data volumes from hyperspectral sensors present a challenge for traditional processing techniques. For example, the identification of each ground surface pixel by its corresponding spectral signature is still difficult because of the immense volume of data. Conventional classification methods may not be used without dimension reduction preprocessing. This is due to the curse of dimensionality, which refers to the fact that the sample size needed to estimate a function of several variables to a given degree of accuracy grows exponentially with the number of variables. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been the technique of choice for dimension reduction. However, PCA is computationally expensive and does not eliminate anomalies that can be seen at one arbitrary band. Spectral data reduction using automatic wavelet decomposition could be useful. This is because it preserves the distinctions among spectral signatures. It is also computed in automatic fashion and can filter data anomalies. This is due to the intrinsic properties of wavelet transforms that preserves high- and low-frequency features, therefore preserving peaks and valleys found in typical spectra. Compared to PCA, for the same level of data reduction, we show that automatic wavelet reduction yields better or comparable classification accuracy for hyperspectral data, while achieving substantial computational savings.
Predicting protein crystallization propensity from protein sequence

The high-throughput structure determination pipelines developed by structural genomics programs offer a unique opportunity for data mining. One important question is how protein properties derived from a primary sequence correlate with the protein’s propensity to yield X-ray quality crystals (crystallizability) and 3D X-ray structures. A set of protein properties were computed for over 1,300 proteins that expressed well but were insoluble, and for ~720 unique proteins that resulted in X-ray structures. The correlation of the protein’s iso-electric point and grand average hydropathy (GRAVY) with crystallizability was analyzed for full length and domain constructs of protein targets. In a second step, several additional properties that can be calculated from the protein sequence were added and evaluated. Using statistical analyses we have identified a set of the attributes correlating with a protein’s propensity to crystallize and implemented a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier based on these. We have created applications to analyze and provide optimal boundary information for query sequences and to visualize the data. These tools are available via the web site http://bioinformatics.anl.gov/cgi-bin/tools/pdpredictor.
Targeting protein palmitoylation: selective inhibitors and implications in disease.

Introduction: Palmitoylation describes the enzymatic attachment of the 16-carbon fatty acid, palmitate, to specific cysteines of proteins via a labile thioester bond. This post-translational modification increases the lipophilicity of the modified protein, thus regulating its subcellular distribution and function. The transfer of palmitate to a substrate is mediated by palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs), while depalmitoylation is catalyzed by acyl protein thioesterases (APTs). Nearly one-third of the 23 genes that encode PATs are linked to human diseases, representing important targets for drug development.Areas covered: In this review, the authors summarize the recent technical advances in the field of palmitoylation and how they will affect our ability to understand palmitoylation and its relevance to human disease. They also review the current literature describing existing palmitoylation inhibitors. The aim of this article is to increase the awareness of the importance of palmitoylation in disease by r...
Legionella surveillance: political and social implications--a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

In this issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports an outbreak of travel-associated legionnaires disease (LD; 2 cases) and concomitant Pontiac fever (PF)-like illness (22 cases) [1]. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6 was isolated from a patient with confirmed LD and from a whirlpool spa at a hotel at which the patient had stayed. Molecular subtyping confirmed that the patient isolate and the environmental isolate were identical. Patients with PF, unlike those with LD, have normal results of chest radiography, without evidence for pneumonia. Malaise, fatigue, and myalgia are the most frequent symptoms, occurring in 9796 of the patients. Fever, often with chills, occurs in ~80%-90% of patients. Although pneumonia has never been documented, nonproductive cough and chest pain are common (30%-60% of patients) [2]. PF differs from LD in that the illness is self-limited; full recovery usually occurs within 1 week and without sequelae. Treatment is symptomatic, and antimicrobial agents are not needed. The diagnosis is confirmed by elevated antibody titers to Legionella species, usually L. pneumophila. The fact that serologic confirmation was not required in the case definition for PF in the CDC study was an understandable shortcoming. The analysis of data from the case-control study could have been confounded easily by data from patients who had nonspecific symptoms and by recall bias associated with questioning of patients about whether they had been near a whirlpool spa?a well-publicized link for LD. In addition, in such cases, investigators may assiduously search for data that indicate that the whirlpool spa is a source but pay less attention to other potential sources. For the IgM test used in this report, serologic positivity was defined at a relatively low titer of 1:64. This appears to be an arbitrary definition, because no populationbased data on the prevalence of a titer ^ 1:64 in a control population was available, and, in this study, 5 (56%) of the 9 patients with symptoms attributed to legionellosis did not meet even this low titer. Because of this uncertainty, the authors labeled the syndrome "PF-like illness."
Endoneurial sodium accumulation in galactosemic rat nerves

Microdrop samples of endoneurial fluid and serum from galactosemic rats were analyzed with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The sodium concentration of endoneurial fluid from galactose-fed rats (295 meq/liter) was nearly twice that of age-matched controls (152 meq/liter) and indicates that sodium is present in an osmotically significant concentration that is capable of causing the edema and increased endoneurial fluid pressure (EFP) associated with galactose neuropathy. It is suggested that accumulation of endoneurial sodium is linked to the movement of sugar into the endoneurium.
Region based fuzzy clustering for automated brain segmentation

A fully automated, fast and accurate method for segmenting contrast enhanced T1 weighted MR head images into brain and non-brain has been developed. The algorithm employs information acquired from the smoothed MR intensity histogram to define thresholds that can be used to first remove the background noise and second segment head mask into smaller regions. A fuzzy clustering technique was then adopted to classify the regions that were obtained from intensity thresholding and morphological operations into brain and non-brain. The algorithm performs successfully both on normal and abnormal MR brain volumes with high intensity space occupying lesions. The algorithm was verified on 10 axial post-contrast T1 weighted images by computing the similarity index for the manually and automatically outlined brain images. The mean similarity index was 0.944 (/spl plusmn/0.0094 SD). The average elapsed time to perform whole process on a Pentium III processor was 9.77 (7.27-12.22) minutes.
The human sirtuin family: Evolutionary divergences and functions

The sirtuin family of proteins is categorised as class III histone deacetylases that play complex and important roles in ageing-related pathological conditions such as cancer and the deregulation of metabolism. There are seven members in humans, divided into four classes, and evolutionarily conserved orthologues can be found in most forms of life, including both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The highly conserved catalytic core domain composed of a large oxidised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-binding Rossmann fold subunit suggests that these proteins belong to a family of nutrient-sensing regulators. Along with their function in regulating cellular metabolism in response to stressful conditions, they are implicated in modifying a wide variety of substrates; this increases the complexity of unravelling the interplay of sirtuins and their partners. Over the past few years, all of these new findings have attracted the interest of researchers exploring potential therapeutic implications related to the function of sirtuins. It remains to be elucidated whether, indeed, sirtuins can serve as molecular targets for the treatment of human illnesses.
Uniform High-Current Cathodes Using Massive Arrays of Si Field Emitters Individually Controlled by Vertical Si Ungated FETs—Part 2: Device Fabrication and Characterization

We report the demonstration of electron sources that achieve high-current and uniform emission using dense arrays of Si field emitters (FEs) that are individually ballasted by a current source. Each FE is fabricated on top of a vertical ungated field-effect transistor (FET), a two-terminal device based on a very-high-aspect-ratio Si column. The ungated FET takes advantage of the velocity saturation of electrons in silicon, the high aspect ratio of the ungated FET, and the doping concentration to achieve current-source-like behavior to obtain reliable uniform and high-current electron emission. Emitted currents in excess of 0.48 A were demonstrated.
Nucleus accumbens neurons encode Pavlovian approach behaviors: Evidence from an autoshaping paradigm

Environmental stimuli predictive of appetitive events can elicit Pavlovian approach responses that enhance an organism's ability to track and secure natural rewards, but may also contribute to the compulsive nature of drug addiction. Here, we examined the activity of individual nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons during an autoshaping paradigm. One conditioned stimulus (CS+, a retractable lever presented for 10 s) was immediately followed by the delivery of a 45-mg sucrose pellet to a food receptacle, while another stimulus (CS-, a separate retractable lever presented for 10 s) was never followed by sucrose. Approach responses directed at the CS+ and CS- were recorded as lever presses and had no experimental consequence. Rats (n = 9) selectively approached the CS+ on more than 80% of trials and were surgically prepared for electrophysiological recording. Of 76 NAc neurons, 57 cells (75%) exhibited increases and/or decreases in firing rate (i.e. termed 'phasically active') during the CS+ presentation and corresponding approach response. Forty-seven percent of phasically active cells (27 out of 57) were characterized by time-locked but transient increases in cell firing, while 53% (30 out of 57) showed a significant reduction in firing for the duration of the CS+. In contrast, the same excitatory subpopulation exhibited smaller increases in activity relative to CS- onset, while the inhibitory subpopulation showed no change in firing during the CS- period. The magnitude and prevalence of cue-related neural responses reported here indicates that the NAc encodes biologically significant, repetitive approach responses that may model the compulsive nature of drug addiction in humans.
Breakthroughs in Photonics 2013: Quantitative Phase Imaging: Metrology Meets Biology

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an emerging optical approach that measures the optical path length of a transparent specimen noninvasively. Therefore, it is suitable for studying unstained biological tissues and cells with high sensitivity and resolution. This capability of QPI has fueled itself to grow rapidly as an active field of study for the past two decades. With this trend, QPI has experienced some breakthroughs in methods and applications in the past year. We briefly review some of these breakthroughs in method, including QPI through silicon marker-free phase nanoscopy and white-light diffraction tomography. Furthermore, some of the applications, such as quantitative phase measurement of cell growth and real-time blood testing, are introduced to show the importance and applicability of the field.
A principled methodology: a dozen principles of software effort estimation

Software effort estimation (SEE) is the activity of estimating the total effort required to complete a software project. Correctly estimating the effort required for a software project is of vital importance for the competitiveness of the organizations. Both under- and over-estimation leads to undesirable consequences for the organizations. Under-estimation may result in overruns in budget and schedule, which in return may cause the cancellation of projects; thereby, wasting the entire effort spent until that point. Over-estimation may cause promising projects not to be funded; hence, harming the organizational competitiveness. Due to the significant role of SEE for software organizations, there is a considerable research effort invested in SEE. Thanks to the accumulation of decades of prior research, today we are able to identify the core issues and search for the right principles to tackle pressing questions. For example, regardless of decades of work, we still lack concrete answers to important questions such as: “What is the best SEE method?” The introduced estimation methods make use of local data, however not all the companies have their own data, so: “How can we handle the lack of local data?” Common SEE methods take size attributes for granted, yet size attributes are costly and the practitioners place very little trust in them. Hence, we ask: “How can we avoid the use of size attributes?” Collection of data, particularly dependent variable information (i.e. effort values) is costly: “How can find an essential subset of the SEE data sets?” Finally, studies make use of sampling methods to justify a new method’s performance on SEE data sets. Yet, trade-off among different variants is ignored: “How should we choose sampling methods for SEE experiments?” This thesis is a rigorous investigation towards identification and tackling of the pressing issues in SEE. Our findings rely on extensive experimentation performed with a large corpus of estimation techniques on a large set of public and proprietary data sets. We summarize our findings and industrial experience in the form of 12 principles: 1) Know your domain 2) Let the Experts Talk 3) Suspect your data 4) Data Collection is Cyclic 5) Use a Ranking Stability Indicator 6) Assemble Superior Methods 7) Weighting Analogies is Over-elaboration 8) Use Easy-path Design 9) Use Relevancy Filtering 10) Use Outlier Pruning 11) Combine Outlier and Synonym Pruning 12) Be Aware of Sampling Method Trade-off.
Introduction to ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal of the gynecologic malignancies. After cancer of the lung, breast, colon, and uterus, it is the fifth most common cancer among women in the United States, and the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women.
Labor Relations, Unions and Collective Bargaining: A Political Economic Analysis

It is not difficult to document the fact that many segments of our society extol the virtues of unionism, as commonly practiced. Some people defend unions as a means of promoting employment. Others feel that "social justice" is a sufficient warrant for this curious institution. So deeply embedded in our folkways is the concept that unions are legitimate institutions that many mainline religious organizations have even gone so far as to invite them to organize their own Church employees - on what they see as moral grounds.
Changes in respiratory elastance after deep inspirations reflect surface film functionality in mice with acute lung injury.

Pulmonary surfactant reduces surface tension in the lung and prevents alveolar collapse. Following a deep inspiration (DI), respiratory elastance first drops then gradually increases due to surface...
Enhanced mass transport of electroactive species to annular nanoband electrodes embedded in nanocapillary array membranes.

Electroosmotic flow (EOF) is used to enhance the delivery of Fe(CN)64–/Fe(CN)63– to an annular nanoband electrode embedded in a nanocapillary array membrane, as a route to high efficiency electrochemical conversions. Multilayer Au/polymer/Au/polymer membranes are perforated with 102–103 cylindrical nanochannels by focused ion beam (FIB) milling and subsequently sandwiched between two axially separated microchannels, producing a structure in which transport and electron transfer reactions are tightly coupled. The middle Au layer, which contacts the fluid only at the center of each nanochannel, serves as a working electrode to form an array of embedded annular nanoband electrodes (EANEs), at which sufficient overpotential drives highly efficient electrochemical processes. Simultaneously, the electric field established between the EANE and the QRE (>103 V cm–1) drives electro-osmotic flow (EOF) in the nanochannels, improving reagent delivery rate. EOF is found to enhance the steady-state current by >10× over...
REAL-WORLD PRACTICE PATTERNS OF DOFETILIDE AND SOTALOL UTILIZATION FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A MULTI-NATIONAL SURVEY

To evaluate the real-world practice patterns of utilization of dofetilide for treating Atrial Fibrillation (AF). We performed an online survey of cardiologists and cardiac electrophysiologists in US and Europe. Participation was voluntary. 31 specific questions were included in the study, primarily
A Robust Model Predictive Control for Balancing of an Inverted Pendulum

This paper presents a methodology to design robust predictive controller for the balancing of an inverted pendulum. The inverted pendulum is one of the most difficult control problem in which the pendulum needs to be balanced against the cart, which moves only in two directions to the left or to the right. A new robust controller is designed to balance the pendulum and produces results which are more effective and fast. A Model Predictive Control (MPC) and PID control strategies are applied for controlling the system equations of the inverted pendulum model and are analyzed and compared. The results of controllers implemented in MATLAB shows that both the strategies are able to control the system but robust model predictive control strategy gives better response as compared to conventional PID controller.
Need for Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction in Native American Communities

Since the time of the European colonialism and Manifest Destiny, all Native American (NA) communities have experienced intergenerational historical trauma stemming from past and current events. The...
Inclusion Body Myositis: What Most Impacts Patients' Lives.

Objective Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is the most common form of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in adults older than 50 years. Few studies have focused on the functional, physical, and social limitations of this disease. This study identifies pertinent symptoms that impact the health and daily function of patients with IBM. Methods We used semistructured interviews with 10 biopsy-confirmed adults with IBM to identify the psychological, physical, and functional limitations that have the greatest impact on the lives of patients with IBM. Results Participants with IBM provided 644 direct quotes identifying issues that have the greatest effect on their lives. Two hundred nine individual symptoms and 17 symptomatic themes were identified by patients as having a significant impact on their lives. The symptomatic themes mentioned most frequently involved mobility and ambulation, emotional distress, and activity impairment. Conclusions Identifying critical issues to patients with IBM is potentially useful for clinicians whose aim is to provide optimal care to patients with IBM.
Attitudes of Health Majors Toward Obese Persons

The purpose of this research was to investigate weight bias among health majors at one southwest regional university. The Attitudes Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) scale was completed by a convenience sample of 184 health majors. ATOP scores were found to be significantly lower than the midpoint (60) of the scale, M = 56.68, s = 16.75, t(183) = -2.69, p .05. Implications of these findings included the development of curriculum to increase awareness of weight bias in existing health-related curricula.
“It’s hard to reenter when you’ve been locked out”: Keys to offender reintegration

ABSTRACTUsing constructivist grounded theory, we conducted 15 semistructured interviews of men and women with criminal justice backgrounds, and three focus groups to examine group level offender reentry strategies. Participants comprised 20 formerly incarcerated men and women who were incarcerated in a New York state prison or at Rikers Island, New York City’s main jail complex. This study revealed four keys to offender reintegration: (a) linking offenders to society; (b) institutional and community anchors; (c) social supports; and (d) personal epiphany. The keys to offender reintegration provide an opportunity to interrupt patterns of relapse, rearrest, and recidivism.
Simulation of elution profiles in liquid chromatography - II: Investigation of injection volume overload under gradient elution conditions applied to second dimension separations in two-dimensional liquid chromatography

An important research direction in the continued development of two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) is to improve the detection sensitivity of the method. This is especially important in applications where injection of large volumes of effluent from the first dimension (1D) column into the second dimension (2D) column leads to severe 2D peak broadening and peak shape distortion. For example, this is common when coupling two reversed-phase columns and the organic solvent content of the 1D mobile phase overwhelms the 2D column with each injection of 1D effluent, leading to low resolution in the second dimension. In a previous study we validated a simulation approach based on the Craig distribution model and adapted from the work of Czok and Guiochon [1] that enabled accurate simulation of simple isocratic and gradient separations with very small injection volumes, and isocratic separations with mismatched injection and mobile phase solvents [2]. In the present study we have extended this simulation approach to simulate separations relevant to 2D-LC. Specifically, we have focused on simulating 2D separations where gradient elution conditions are used, there is mismatch between the sample solvent and the starting point in the gradient elution program, injection volumes approach or even exceed the dead volume of the 2D column, and the extent of sample loop filling is varied. To validate this simulation we have compared results from simulations and experiments for 101 different conditions, including variation in injection volume (0.4-80μL), loop filling level (25-100%), and degree of mismatch between sample organic solvent and the starting point in the gradient elution program (-20 to +20% ACN). We find that that the simulation is accurate enough (median errors in retention time and peak width of -1.0 and -4.9%, without corrections for extra-column dispersion) to be useful in guiding optimization of 2D-LC separations. However, this requires that real injection profiles obtained from 2D-LC interface valves are used to simulate the introduction of samples into the 2D column. These profiles are highly asymmetric - simulation using simple rectangular pulses leads to peak widths that are far too narrow under many conditions. We believe the simulation approach developed here will be useful for addressing practical questions in the development of 2D-LC methods.
Improving the Safety and Functionality of an Artificial Pancreas System for Use in Younger Children: Input from Parents and Physicians.

Abstract Background: Artificial pancreas (AP) systems have initially been designed for and tested in teens and adults, but there is evidence that an AP system with additional support and safety systems could greatly benefit younger children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Subjects and Methods: Five pediatric endocrinologists and 15 parents of children aged 5–8 years with T1D participated in a total of four focus groups. Focus groups investigated current diabetes technology use and acceptance, as well as possible modifications to the current adult AP system, which would allow for safe and successful use in younger children. Modifications discussed include child-specific functionality for input tasks, safety features, and monitoring capabilities. Results: Participant suggestions included the following: passcodes for differential access to AP features by parents, ancillary caregivers, and the child; preset early, intermediate, and advanced child access categories; maximal customization for general and alarm sett...
Nonequivalence of Automated and Manual Hematocrit and Erythrocytic Indices

Manual and automated (Coulter) methods for determining hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were compared using blood specimens in which normal erythrocytes had been serially diluted in their own plasma. Thus, predicted linearity of hematocrit and predicted constancy of the erythrocytic indices were evaluated by these technics. Automated hematocrit was a rectilinear function of the erythrocyte count. Centrifuged hematocrit deviated systematically from the automated hematocrit; its correlation with the erythrocyte count was curvilinear. Automated erythrocytic indices were nearly constant throughout the range of dilutions of erythrocytes. The MCV, calculated from centrifuged hemtocrit and automated erythrocyte count, varied strikingly as a function of the latter. The range of MCV so observed was 62 to 105 fl for normal blood specimens, serially diluted, which, when undiluted, had MCV values in the range of 82 to 90 fl. Results of manual (centrifuged) hematocrit and erythrocytic indices appear to be inherently less reliable than those obtained by automated methods.
Molecular characterization of the transition from acute to chronic kidney injury following ischemia/reperfusion

Though an acute kidney injury (AKI) episode is associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the mechanisms determining the transition from acute to irreversible chronic injury are not well understood. To extend our understanding of renal repair, and its limits, we performed a detailed molecular characterization of a murine ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) model for 12 months after injury. Together, the data comprising RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis at multiple time points, histological studies, and molecular and cellular characterization of targeted gene activity provide a comprehensive profile of injury, repair, and long-term maladaptive responses following IRI. Tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, inflammation, and development of multiple renal cysts were major long-term outcomes of IRI. Progressive proximal tubular injury tracks with de novo activation of multiple Krt genes, including Krt20, a biomarker of renal tubule injury. RNA-seq analysis highlights a cascade of temporal-specific gene expression patterns related to tubular injury/repair, fibrosis, and innate and adaptive immunity. Intersection of these data with human kidney transplant expression profiles identified overlapping gene expression signatures correlating with different stages of the murine IRI response. The comprehensive characterization of incomplete recovery after ischemic AKI provides a valuable resource for determining the underlying pathophysiology of human CKD.
Perspective: Let’s simplify stock assessment by replacing tuning algorithms with statistics

Abstract Stock assessments are important to sustainable ocean management, but developing assessments remains time-consuming despite increased computation power and access to shared software. Improved efficiency in developing stock assessments could allow an increased rate of new assessments, increased attention to biological mechanisms in existing assessments, or accelerated testing of existing methods. I argue that the efficiency of the stock-assessment enterprise is hindered by a reliance upon ad hoc “tuning algorithms” that are conducted independently of standard parameter estimation. I present three examples where tuning algorithms are widely used: (1) determining the variance of recruitment, (2) bias-correcting recruitment deviations, and (3) determining the effective sample size for compositional data, and summarize why each tuning algorithm was originally developed. I then review recent research showing that each task can be replaced with parameter estimation involving random effects. Finally, I explain how model development, peer-review, and model testing would each be improved if tuning algorithms were replaced by parameter estimation, and outline the steps required to transition existing stock assessments to modern parameter estimation involving mixed effects.
PAM-Antagonists: A Better Way to Block Pathological Receptor Signaling?

Seven transmembrane receptor (7TMR) responses are modulated by orthosteric and allosteric ligands to great therapeutic advantage. Here we introduce a unique class of negative allosteric modulator (NAM) – the positive allosteric modulator (PAM)-antagonist – that increases the affinity of the receptor for the agonist but concomitantly decreases agonist efficacy when cobound. Notably, the reciprocation of allosteric energy causes the orthosteric agonist to increase the affinity of the receptor for the PAM-antagonist; thus, this modulator seeks out and destroys agonist-bound receptor complexes. When contrasted with standard orthosteric and allosteric antagonists it is clear that PAM-antagonists are uniquely well suited to reversing ongoing persistent agonism and provide favorable target coverage in vivo. Specifically, the therapeutic application of PAM-antagonists to reverse pathological overactivation (e.g., endothelin vasoconstriction) is emphasized.
S-adenosyl-L-methionine modulates firing rate of dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus neurones in vitro.

We used the patch clamp technique applied to an in vitro brain slice preparation to examine the changes in firing activity of single dorsal vagal motoneurones exposed to S-adenosyl-methionine. In approximately 70% of the neurones tested, S-adenosylL-methionine (1-100/zM) decreased the spontaneously occurring firing in a dose dependent manner; the plateau decrease was 40 + 6%. The peak effect was observed approximately 5 min after the superfusion with S-adenosyl-L-methionine was started, and was usually reversible upon wash out of S-adenosyl-L-methionine from the superfusing chamber. No effect of the control salt of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, 1,4-butane-disulfonate-Na (100 /~M), was observed. The frequency of discharge observed upon depolarization steps from hyperpolarized potentials was reduced to 34 + 17% (n = 11) of control upon S-adenosyl-L-methionine (100/~M) superfusion; no effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine was observed on the action potential threshold. Preincubation with adenosine receptor antagonists, 8-cyclopentyl-l,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 10 nM) and 3,7-dimethyl-l-propargylxanthine (DMPX, 50/~M), reversed the S-adenosyl-L-methionine-induced inhibition of firing rate, and in fact, in the presence of these adenosine antagonists, S-adenosyl-L-methionine increased the firing rate of vagal motoneurones. This excitation of vagal motoneurones was blocked by pretreatment with S-adenosyl-homocysteine (100/zM), an inhibitor of methylation reactions. It is concluded that the inhibitory activity of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on the firing rate of vagal motoneurones is due to its metabolic transformation into adenosine which then acts on adenosine receptors. The excitatory effect on firing rate appears to be due to other actions, possibly including methylation reactions of key components of signal transduction mechanisms.
Clinical review: The emerging cell biology of thyroid stem cells.

Context: Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with the property of self-renewal and give rise to highly specialized cells under appropriate local conditions. The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine holds great promise for the treatment of many diseases, including those of the thyroid gland. Evidence Acquisition: This review focuses on the progress that has been made in thyroid stem cell research including an overview of cellular and molecular events (most of which were drawn from the period 1990–2011) and discusses the remaining problems encountered in their differentiation. Evidence Synthesis: Protocols for the in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells, based on normal developmental processes, have generated thyroid-like cells but without full thyrocyte function. However, agents have been identified, including activin A, insulin, and IGF-I, which are able to stimulate the generation of thyroid-like cells in vitro. In addition, thyroid stem/progenitor cells have been identified within the n...
Characterization of the Differential Progression of Left Ventricular Remodeling in a Rat Model of Pressure Overload Induced Heart Failure. Does Clip Size Matter

Despite the use of inbred animals, phenotypic variability is usually encountered in rats subjected to pressure overload. This chapter describes techniques for creating a rat model of pressure overload by ascending aortic banding procedure and noninvasive characterization of the variable phenotypes by means of echocardiography. We address the variable phenotypes encountered in this model with moderate versus severe ascending aortic banding. We also describe some of the echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters and the degree of interstitial fibrosis and extracellular matrix remodeling encountered in each of the different phenotypes.
Patients' Attitudes Regarding Treatment for Vocal Fold Atrophy.

Summary Objective To understand patient-identified factors affecting decision-making about treatment for vocal fold atrophy and to identify potentially correctable systematic impediments to appropriate treatment. Study design Prospective observational study. Setting Tertiary academic voice center. Subjects and methods Prospective study of 34 consecutive patients with primary diagnosis of vocal fold atrophy. Participants answered an anonymous, single-page questionnaire at end of clinic visit following development of treatment plan. Results Nineteen patients (56%) wanted to pursue treatment (eg voice therapy or surgery) and 15 patients (44%) did not. Most common reasons for pursuing treatment included desire for better voice (100%), aggravation by voice symptoms (84%) and decreased functionality of voice (63%). Most common reasons to forego treatment included feeling reassured by the lack of malignant findings (67% and 40% of those not wanting surgery and voice therapy, respectively) and the lack of a significant degree of symptomatology (80% and 53%, respectively). No patients cited insurance or transportation concerns, and few (13 and 27%, respectively) indicated other health issues taking priority. Conclusions This pilot study represents an important first step in understanding patients’ motivations in pursuing or declining treatment, which will help clinicians better counsel and guide patients to make appropriate treatment choices. It is imperative that clinicians develop better understanding about treatment outcomes as symptomatology and functionality are primary driving factors in the treatment-seeking population. Improved methods to assess candidacy for appropriate treatment are needed.
A Regulated 48V-to-1V/100A 90.9%-Efficient Hybrid Converter for POL Applications in Data Centers and Telecommunication Systems

This paper describes the topology, fundamental operations, and key characteristics of a Dual-Phase Multi-Inductor Hybrid (DP-MIH) Converter for Point of Load (POL) telecommunication and data center applications. The circuit topology employs a unique configuration of switched inductor and capacitor pairs to achieve complete soft charging and native voltage balancing of flying capacitors regardless of mismatches and variations in capacitor and inductor values. The converter topology and its operation are verified by a five-level DP-MIH converter prototype capable of delivering maximum load of 100A at 1V-5V regulated output voltages from a 48V input supply. It achieves 90.9% peak efficiency and 440 w/in3 power density for 48V-to-1V conversion and 95.3% and 2200W/in3 for a 48V-to-5V conversion.