cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A four-week white bread diet does not alter plasma glucose concentrations, metabolic or vascular physiology in mourning doves, Zenaida macroura.

Abstract Birds are an enigma: their plasma glucose concentration is 1.5–2 times higher than similar-sized mammals, yet they do not normally exhibit symptoms of diabetes. We hypothesized that feeding adult mourning doves a refined carbohydrate diet (white bread: WB) for four weeks would raise plasma glucose concentrations and alter metabolic pathways and endothelial function when compared to birds receiving a nutritionally-balanced diet (bird seeds: SD). Following the four-week long diets, birds were euthanized, and cardiac blood, liver, and pectoralis muscles were collected for metabolomics analyses and biochemical assays. Cranial tibial arteries were dissected to measure acetylcholine-mediated vasodilation. Contrary to the hypothesis, WB-fed birds did not have increased plasma glucose concentrations. Principle component analysis score plots suggest minimal differences between groups. However, we identified 15 changes in individual metabolite concentrations between diet groups that, although not statistically significant, are highly predictive (area under receive operating curve, AUROC>0.90; number of highly predictive metabolites: 5 of 123 in plasma, 4 of 92 in liver, and 6 of 92 in pectoralis muscle). Moreover, pathway analyses revealed no significantly altered metabolic pathways between groups. Biochemical assays revealed no significant group differences in plasma uric acid and insulin, or pectoralis muscle glycogen concentrations. However, hepatic glycogen concentration was 2.12-fold higher in the WB group than in control doves (p = .015). Diet type did not influence vasodilation. In conclusion, a four-week long white bread diet increased liver glycogen but did not alter plasma glucose concentrations, metabolic or vascular physiology in mourning doves.
Quantifying Lumbar Mobilization With Inertial Measurement Unit.

Abstract Objective Lumbar mobilization is a standard intervention for the management of low back pain, yet ways to quantify lumbar mobilization are limited. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is a small and inexpensive device that can be used to quantify lumbar mobilization. The objective of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of an IMU in measuring the amplitude of displacement of a clinician's hand movement during oscillatory lumbar mobilization. Methods An IMU was secured on a clinician's hand during application of mobilization forces at the L4 segment of 16 healthy participants. The validity of the IMU was tested against common laboratory methods of measurements (force plate and motion capture system). The reliability of the IMU measurements was determined between 2 clinicians (inter-rater reliability) and between 2 sessions (intra-rater reliability) by calculating percent error of measurement (%e) and limits of agreement (LOA). The reliability was considered high when |%e| ≤ 10% and |LOA| ≤ 20%; moderate when |%e| 10% to 20% and |LOA| 21% to 40%; and non-acceptable when |%e| > 20% and |LOA| > 40%. Results The IMU measurements had high correlation with the force plate measurements (rs = 0.94) and high agreement with the motion capture system measurements (%e = 4%, LOA = -11% and 20%). Both the inter-rater reliability (%e = 6%, LOA = -25% and 37%) and the intrarater reliability (%e = -1%, LOA = -29% and 27%) of IMU measurements were moderate. Conclusion The IMU seems to be a valid device to measure the amplitude of a clinician's hand movement. The moderate reliability found in this study may not reflect poor reliability of the IMU as much as inconsistency in reapplication of lumbar mobilization.
Accurate Estimation of Tip Force on Tendon-driven Catheters using Inverse Cosserat Rod Model *

Tip force estimation on tendon-driven catheters is of crucial clinical importance for catheter-based surgeries such as radio-frequency ablation (RFA). In this study, a force estimation framework based on Bezier spline shape approximation and inverse Cosserat rod model was proposed and validated. Initially, the necessary condition for a Bezier spline to approximate a constant bending radius catheter was derived. Afterward, the kinematics and balance equations of the catheter were derived based on the proposed shape approximation technique and solved to find the tip force. The proposed method was experimentally tested for accuracy and computation time. The results showed that the estimated forces were in fair agreement with reference with a mean-absolute error of $0.024\pm 0.020\mathrm{N}$ and a computation time of $0.007\pm 0.005\mathrm{s}$ per frame. The exhibited performance was comparable to other studies and was in compliance with the requirements of interventional surgery applications.
What Americans Think About Poverty, Wealth, and Work

The Cato 2019 Welfare, Work, and Wealth National Survey of 1,700 Americans investigates attitudes toward the rich and the poor and examines what Americans believe about work, welfare, and social mobility.
Digital Canaries: Identifying Hazardous Patterns in Msha Data Using A Machine Learner

Abstract The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) of the United States is tasked with promoting mine safety through regulations and mine inspections. While performing this duty, MSHA has amassed an immense amount of data. MSHA’s publicly available dataset encompasses millions of data records, including mine details, inspections, violations, accidents, and penalties levied for non-compliance with mandatory health and safety standards. The dataset is regularly used for generating government reports and statistical data. The goal of this paper is to extract non-evident knowledge from this multi-million record database. The knowledge discovered would benefit MSHA and mining stakeholders by providing insight into unsafe trends, forecast potential issues, and provide information that could help avoid injuries and loss of life. This paper proposes a methodology that makes use of a machine learner, a random forest classifier, to score safety violations. MSHA and mining stakeholders could then use these scores to help identify potential hazards or undesirable situations. The results show the model produced by the proposed methodology can predict future incidents with a high accuracy.
Porphyria cutanea tarda exacerbation as a paraneoplastic syndrome in vaginal cancer resolved with chemoradiation

Abstract Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome. The effects of therapeutic ionizing radiation in patients with PCT are not well understood. We report the case of a 55 year-old woman with a past medical history significant for kidney transplant with rejection and removal on hemodialysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, porphyria cutanea tarda, undifferentiated connective tissue disease probably systemic lupus, and hepatitis C, who underwent curative chemoradiation treatment for a recurrent vaginal squamous cell carcinoma. There was no increased acute toxicity and active porphyria cutanea tarda improved over the course of radiation treatment and fully resolved within 1 year. However, there was significant myofibrotic late toxicity within the treated region.
The glitterati government? Amateur celebrity candidates in American elections, 1928–2018

Abstract This paper examines amateur celebrity candidates in American elections from 1928 to 2018. Our central finding is that while not many celebrities run for public office, those who do usually win. We argue that the strategic-politician theory helps explain both why so few stars run for office and why those who do are generally successful. Besides name recognition, celebrities' most significant electoral advantage might be that they do not need a career in politics, which allows them to be picky about the races they enter. Although winning is not a foregone conclusion for celebrities, the most pertinent question seems to be not “can they win?” but “will they run?”
Making light work of lignan synthesis.

Mimicking biosynthetic pathways can provide access to medicinally important natural products, but generating the reactive species used by nature can often be difficult. Now, a photoredox-based strategy has been developed to access a reactive radical intermediate postulated to be involved in complex lignan biosynthesis.
Vestibular Disorders in Congenital Cytomegalovirus: A Balancing Act

* Abbreviation: cCMV — : congenital cytomegalovirus In a study published in this issue of Pediatrics , Pinninti et al1 report that vestibular, balance, and gaze disorders occur in up to 45% of children born with asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection. This study was based on the evaluation of 40 children from among the 449 newborns diagnosed with cCMV through the CMV & Hearing Multicenter Screening (CHIMES) study, which screened >100 000 newborns from 7 medical center sites across the United States from 2007 to 2012.2 The subjects in this study represent a sample from a single CMV & Hearing Multicenter Screening study site. This study represents the largest cohort identified and systematically tested for vestibular and balance disorders in children with asymptomatic cCMV. Previous smaller studies, which included … Address correspondence to Gail J. Demmler-Harrison, MD, Texas Children’s Hospital, Feigin Tower Suite 1150, 1102 Bates St, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: gdemmler{at}bcm.edu
Rural-urban differences in diagnostic incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Introduction Understanding rural-urban variation in the diagnostic incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) will inform policies to improve timely diagnosis and access to supportive services for older adults in rural communities. Methods Using 2008 to 2015 national claims data for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (roughly 170 million person-years), we computed unadjusted and adjusted diagnostic incidence and prevalence estimates for ADRD in metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural counties, and examined differences in survival rates. Results Risk-adjusted ADRD diagnostic incidence was higher in rural versus metropolitan counties despite lower prevalence. Among beneficiaries diagnosed with ADRD in 2008, metropolitan county residents experienced longer survival compared to residents in rural and micropolitan counties. Discussion These data suggest that older adults in rural communities may be underdiagnosed with ADRD, and/or diagnosed at later stages of dementia. Further work is needed to develop strategies to reduce this disparity.
La forma triangular de la matriz de Leontief

En este articulo presento algunos comentarios sobre la forma triangular del modelo de Leontief. Entre ellos, propongo una demostracion alternativa de la equivalencia entre la existencia de una solucion viable para el modelo y la condicion de Hawkins y Simon (H-S). Ademas, expongo el peculiar significado economico de los coeficientes de la diagonal principal en la forma triangular de la matriz de Leontief, lo cual permite, entre otras cosas, apreciar la estrecha relacion entre las condiciones economicas y las matema- ticas en la solucion del modelo. Tambien identifico algunas proposiciones matematicas equivalentes a (H-S) que poseen interes economico.
Fully Autonomous Real-World Reinforcement Learning for Mobile Manipulation

We study how robots can autonomously learn skills that require a combination of navigation and grasping. While reinforcement learning in principle provides for automated robotic skill learning, in practice reinforcement learning in the real world is challenging and often requires extensive instrumentation and supervision. Our aim is to devise a robotic reinforcement learning system for learning navigation and manipulation together, in an autonomous way without human intervention, enabling continual learning under realistic assumptions. Our proposed system, ReLMM, can learn continuously on a real-world platform without any environment instrumentation, without human intervention, and without access to privileged information, such as maps, objects positions, or a global view of the environment. Our method employs a modularized policy with components for manipulation and navigation, where manipulation policy uncertainty drives exploration for the navigation controller, and the manipulation module provides rewards for navigation. We evaluate our method on a room cleanup task, where the robot must navigate to and pick up items scattered on the floor. After a grasp curriculum training phase, ReLMM can learn navigation and grasping together fully automatically, in around 40 hours of autonomous real-world training.
Files-as-Filesystems for POSIX Shell Data Processing

The POSIX shell is 'stringy', and its ecosystem primarily supports line-oriented formats. While such formats are popular and common, contemporary programming often involves semi-structured data, like JSON or YAML. Dealing with such formats, the shell's stringiness leaves users out in the cold---the POSIX ecosystem struggles with semi-structured data. New command-line tools work well with 'modern' data formats, but each tool is its own complex language to learn. The tree-like filesystem is the shell's only real data structure. By mapping 'modern' formats onto file hierarchies, we can work effectively in the existing ecosystem. We introduce ffs, the file filesystem, a new tool for mapping semi-structured data formats to filesystems in userspace. Like /proc and /sys, our filesystem-based approach helps the shell (and other tools) manipulate structured data.
Semiclassical Carrier Transport Models

In this chapter we begin our study of charge and carrier transport through small semiconductor devices. We are confronted with a rich variety of possible transport models. Each of these models makes a different set of simplifying approximations concerning the physics of carrier transport and therefore has its own domain of validity. The overall problem which these various models solve in various ways is the response of a cloud or ensemble of mobile charges, embedded in a media which subjects them to a statistically varied set of scattering events and to a set of externally applied fields. The detail needed in the statistical description of the carrier distribution in phase space generally guides the choice of a transport model. At one extreme, we try to preserve all of the statistical information and solve for a distribution function or use Monte Carlo methods. At the other extreme, we decide that only the mean values are needed and generally solve for the carrier density. (Of particular interest here are a set of models in which hot-carrier phenomena are ignored while nonequilibrium densities are retained.) Lying between these two extremes are a variety of models in which one retains hot-carrier physics in the formulation of carrier current densities as well as nonequilibrium concentrations. If we are interested in noise calculations, we must retain some information concerning statistical fluctuations about the mean value for one or more parameters, and questions then arise as to how one separates the mean motion from the overall motion and how one preserves or represents the fluctuations.
The Indeterminacy of Grounds (Kant and Leibniz)

Kant had carefully studied some central texts of Leibniz, including the Monadology (in its Latin translation as Principia philosophiae),the Theodicy,the New Essays on Human Understanding and the correspondence with Clarke.82 Kant himself possessed a definite hermeneutic attitude in his reading of previous thinkers. So we find that not only did he claim to understand Plato’s thought better than Plato himself did,83 but he says the same about Leibniz. At the end of his interpretation of Leibniz in On a Discovery According to which Any New Critique of Pure Reason Has Been Made Superfluous by an Earlier One, Kant denounces historians of philosophy who “neglect the key to the interpretation […] They are thus incapable of recognizing beyond what the philosophers actually said, what they really meant to say.”84 Let these words serve as a caveat. The present study focuses upon Kant’s interpretation and transformation of Leibniz’s principle of sufficient reason culminating in the Critique of Pure Reason. Reading Leibniz purely for his own sake would be a different project. Before we listen to Kant, however, let us bring Leibniz himself before us in his words from the Monadology and Theodicy:
Compatibility of Insecticides with Natural Enemies to Control Pests of Greenhouses and Conservatories

Natural enemies used as biological control agents may not always provide adequate control of plant-feeding insects in greenhouses and conservatories. Research continues to assess the utilization of natural enemies in conjunction with biorational insecticides including insect growth regulators, insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, feeding inhibitors, and microbial agents (entomogenous bacteria and fungi, and related microorganisms); and the potential compatibility of both strategies when implemented together. A variety of factors influence the ability of using natural enemies with insecticides. These include whether the natural enemy is a parasitoid or predator, the species of the natural enemy, life stage sensitivity, rate and timing of insecticide application, and mode of action of the insecticide. Insecticides may impact natural enemies by affecting longevity (survival), host acceptance, sex ratio, reproduction (fecundity), foraging behavior, emergence, and development. Despite the emphasis on evalua...
Making German Evolution: Translation and Tragedy

The Tragic Sense of Life . Ernst Haeckel and the Struggle over Evolutionary Thought. By Robert J. Richards . University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2008. 579 pp. $39, £27. ISBN 9780226712147. H. G. Bronn, Ernst Haeckel, and the Origins of German Darwinism . A Study in Translation and Transformation. By Sander Gliboff . MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2008. 271 pp. $35, £22.95. ISBN 9780262072939. Richards and Gliboff offer contrasting perspectives on Ernst Haeckel and evolutionary thought in 19th-century Germany.
Exposing Sex Stereotypes in Recent Same-Sex Marriage Jurisprudence

This article examines sex discrimination arguments in recent same-sex marriage cases. Since 1993, when the Hawaii Supreme Court held in Baehr v. Lewin that denying same-sex couples the right to marry could state a claim of sex discrimination, every state high court to consider the issue has rejected the claim. But many recent decisions have in fact relied upon sex-based stereotypes to justify marriage restrictions. These include claims that men and women, simply by virtue of their gender, provide distinct role models for children; that men and women play "opposite" or "complementary" roles within marriage; and that marriage is essential to protect "vulnerable" women from "irresponsible" men who, absent marriage, would not provide support to their children. Comparable sex stereotypes underlie other government policies, such as marriage promotion, responsible fatherhood initiatives, and abstinence-only education programs, that similarly privilege "traditional" heterosexual marriage to the exclusion of all other forms of family structuring. Such reflexive reliance on sex stereotypes contrasts sharply with recent developments requiring gender-neutrality in other areas of law governing family relations, such as custody determinations. Drawing on equal protection jurisprudence establishing that government policies based on archaic or sex-stereotyped assumptions regarding gender roles are unconstitutional, the article argues that exposing the extent to which justifications for limiting marriage to different-sex couples rely on sex stereotypes, and explicitly tying together a discussion of sex stereotypes with claims that marriage statutes are facially discriminatory, can strengthen the analogy between same-sex marriage cases and anti-miscegenation cases such as Loving v. Virginia, making it more likely that the sex discrimination claims will be successful.
Creatine Kinase Equilibration Follows Solution Thermodynamics in Skeletal Muscle. 31P NMR STUDIES USING CREATINE ANALOGS

The hypothesis tested was whether creatine kinase (CK) equilibrates with its substrates and products in the cytosol as if in solution. We used the creatine analogs cyclocreatine (cCr) or β-guanidopropionate (βGPA) to test if mass action ratios (Γ) for CK in muscle could be predicted from combined equilibrium constants (Kcomb) measured in solutions mimicking the intracellular environment. Mice were fed cCr or βGPA and their muscles assayed for substrates and products of the CK reaction by 31P NMR spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography. After three weeks of feeding, Γ was indistinguishable from Kcomb in cCr-treated muscles demonstrating both PCr/Cr and phospho-analog/analog must have equilibrated with a constant and uniform cellular ATP/ADP ratio. In βGPA-treated muscles, Γ was smaller than Kcomb due to a higher content of muscle βGPA. Feeding βGPA for 9-12 weeks resulted in a closer agreement between Kcomb and Γ, suggesting ATP/ADP ratios are not uniform within the muscle perhaps due to transient metabolic stress in some cells. From this analysis it follows that calculation of free ADP from the CK equilibrium for a heterogeneous population of cells with respect to total Cr and ATP content is correct only if chemical potentials of these cells are uniform.
Nucleotide sequence analysis of the precore region in patients with fulminant hepatitis B in the United States

Mutations in the precore region of hepatitis B virus (HBV), preventing hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) synthesis, have been associated with severe forms of hepatitis B, including fulminant hepatitis. To assess the role played by HBeAg-defective mutants in fulminant hepatitis B in the USA, we recovered and sequenced precore and proximal core regions in 37 out of 39 (95%) patients with this syndrome. Mutations likely to prevent HBeAg synthesis were found in four (10.8%) patients: two had a G to A substitution at nt 1896, one had lost the precore initiation condon (A to C transition at nt 1814) and one had a stop codon immediately downstream of the initiation codon (C to T substitution at nt 1817). Seven additional patients harbored missense and/or silent mutations in the sequenced region. Ten patients were coinfected with hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and nucleotide substitutions were not found in this group of patients. Poor prognosis was associated with the presence of nucleotide substitutions and anti-HBe positivity. We conclude that precore defective mutants are rare in fulminant hepatitis B cases in the USA.
A criterion for a group to be nilpotent

Let be a group with . In this paper it is shown that is nilpotent if and only if for every subgroup of with we have for each and for every .
Immigrant Workers and the Thirteenth Amendment

This chapter examines the treatment of immigrant workers through the lens of the Thirteenth Amendment. It examines how the intersection of labor and immigration laws impact immigrant workers in general, guest workers" and undocumented immigrants. It argues that immigrant workers can be seen as a caste of nonwhite workers laboring beneath the floor for free labor in ways which violate the Thirteenth Amendment. Further, it suggests ways in which immigrant workers can use the Thirteenth Amendment to improve their situation and offers an analysis of how the Thirteenth Amendment can form a bridge for organizing between labor, civil rights, immigration rights and human rights groups.
Physical Activity and Health

Engaging in regular physical activity is one of the best ways to improve overall health. Although there are some risks associated with activity, they are far outweighed by the long-term health benefits. Physical activity can prolong life, improve quality of life, and lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, and osteoporosis. It is also an important component of weight management. What remains a challenge is the successful promotion of regular physical activity in a population that is predominantly sedentary. The public health experience with tobacco points to the need for multifaceted approaches that include strategies aimed at both individual behavior change and environmental change.
Organic solar cells : fundamentals, devices, and upscaling

Solution-Processed DonorsB. Burkhart, B. C. Thompson Small-Molecule and Vapor-Deposited Organic Photovoltaics R. R. Lunt, R. J. Holmes Acceptor Materials for Solution-Processed Solar Cells Y. He Interfacial Layers R. Po, C. Carbonera, A. Bernardi Electrodes in Organic Photovoltaic Cells S. Yoo, J.-Y. Lee, H. Kim, J. Lee Tandem and Multi-Junction Organic Solar Cells J. Gilot, R. A. J. Janssen Bulk Heterojunction Morphology Control and Characterization T. Wang, D. G. Lidzey Optical Modeling and Light Management in Organic Photovoltaic Devices O. Inganas, Z. Tang, J. Bergqvist, K. Tvingstedt Spectroscopy of Charge Carrier Dynamics: From Generation to Collection S. R. Cowan, N. Banerji Modeling OPV Performance: Morphology, Transport, and Recombination C. Groves Modeling the Electronic and Optical Processes in Organic Solar Cells: Density Functional Theory and Beyond J.-L. Bredas, V. Coropceanu, C. Doiron, Y.-T. Fu, T. Korzdorfer, L. Pandey, C. Risko, J. Sears, B. Yang, Y. Yi, C. Zhang Flexible Substrates and Barriers Y. Galagan Large-Area Processing for OPV R. R. Sondergaard, M. Hosel, F. C. Krebs Module Design, Fabrication, and Characterization R. Rosch, H. Hoppe Stability of Organic Photovoltaic Cells: Failure Mechanisms and Operational Stability E. Voroshazi
Action Potentials in Unexercised Arm When opposite Arm is Exercised

Abstract The electrical activity in an unexercised arm was recorded when the opposite arm was exercised. The subject exercised the opposite arm by raising it to a 45° angle, as four and one-half pound weights were systematically added until the subject could no longer perform the exercise. The microvoltage was recorded by taking a photograph of the cathode-ray-oscillograph. It was found that: (a) the microvoltage increased as the resistance increased; (b) on an average, 70% of maximum strength elicited a potential of ten microvolts in the unexercised arm; and (c) maximum contractions elicited, on an average, 30.4 microvolts in the unexercised arm. It is concluded that either muscle setting or active exercises will elicit higher potentials in an arm than will exercising the opposite arm against maximum resistance.
Spectra and structure of some silicon containing compounds: VII. Microwave spectra of (ch3)3SiCN and (CH3)3SiNC

Abstract The microwave spectra of trimethylsilylcyanide and trimethylsilylisocyanide have been recorded between 26.5 and 40.0 GHz. The B values for (CH 3 ) 3 SiCN and (CH 3 ) 3 SiNC were found to be 1995.308 MHz and 2197.32 MHz, respectively. The centrifugal distortion constant was found to be 0.00027MHz for (CH 3 ) 3 SiCN. These rotational constants are consistent with calculations based on structural parameters from related molecules. The reaction products from the standard method of preparation used in this study were found to contain 5.3 % (CH 3 ) 3 SiNC at 25 °C.
An infinite game on groups.

We consider an infinite game on a group G, defined relative to a subset A of G. The game is denoted G(G, A). The finite version of the game, introduced in [1], was inspired by an attack on the RSA cryptosystem as used in an implementation of SSL. Besides identifying circumstances under which player TWO does not have a winning strategy, we show for the topological group of real numbers that if C is a set of real numbers having a selection property (*) introduced by Gerlits and Nagy, then for any interval J of positive length, TWO has a winning strategy in the game G(R, J ∪ C).
The Photometry of Extended Objects: Diode-Array Detectors and Interactive Data Processing

Monolithic silicon diode-array detector technology is reviewed as applied to astronomical applications. The massive data files that can result from diode-array detectors are most conveniently and efficiently digested by the astronomer through computer-coupled interactive picture processing.
Ecdysteroid glycosides from Sida rhombifolia L.

Seven ecdysteroids, including the three new compounds 1–3, were isolated from Sida rhombifolia L. Their structures and configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic techniques in combination with chemical derivatization. The four known compounds – ecdysone (4), 20-hydroxyecdysone (5), 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), and 20-hydroxyecdysone-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7) – are reported for the first time from this plant.
Validation of dual x-ray absorptiometry for body-composition assessment of rats exposed to dietary stressors.

Abstract Evidence of the validity and accuracy of dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure soft-tissue composition of laboratory rats with altered body composition associated with nutritional perturbations is lacking. We compared DXA determinations made in prone and supine positions with measurements of chemical composition of 49 male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats that were fed the basal AIN-93 growth diet, were fed the basal diet modified to contain 30% fat, were fasted for 2 d, were limit fed 6 g of the basal diet daily for 1 wk, or were treated with furosemide (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally 2 h before DXA). DXA produced similar estimates of body mass and soft-tissue composition in the prone and supine positions. DXA estimates of body composition were significantly correlated with reference composition values (R2 = 0.371–0.999). DXA discriminated treatment effects on body mass, fat-free and bone-free mass, fat mass, and body fatness; it significantly underestimated body mass (1% to 2%) and fat-free and bone-free mass (3%) and significantly overestimated fat mass and body fatness (3% to 25%). The greatest errors occurred in treatment groups in which body mass was diminished and body hydration was decreased. These findings suggest that DXA can determine small changes in fat-free, bone-free mass in response to obesity and weight loss. Errors in DXA determination of fat mass and body fatness associated with extra corporeal fluid and dehydration indicate the need for revision of calculation algorithms for soft-tissue determination.
Aerosol particle mass spectrometry with low photon energy laser ionization

Abstract The problem of excessive ion fragmentation observed in the mass spectra of organic aerosols is addressed by varying the photon energy used to ionize the vaporized particles. Oleic acid aerosols are vaporized by either an IR CO 2 laser or by impaction on a heater and ionized by pulsed laser radiation produced by either third harmonic generation in Xe (118 nm; 10.48 eV) or by resonance difference frequency mixing in Kr (142 nm; 8.75 eV). The use of the lower energy laser light greatly reduced the fragmentation of the oleic acid ions. However, spectra of oleic acid particles taken at several different CO 2 laser powers showed that the internal energy of molecules in the vapor plume vary in time so that the appearance of the mass spectrum is a function of the delay time between CO 2 and VUV laser pulses. Hot molecules produced in the early stages of vaporization generated large amounts of fragment ions, whereas the mass spectra of colder molecules consisted predominantly of parent ions. Vaporization with the heater on the other hand, shows a more uniform heating of the particle, with very little ion fragmentation. The ionization energy (8.6 ± 0.1 eV) and the fragment ion appearance energy (9.0 ± 0.1 eV) of oleic acid were determined by photoelectron photoion coincidence spectrometry.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy reduced risk for recurrence in patients recently hospitalized with cardiovascular disease events

Source Citation Gulliksson M, Burell G, Vessby B, et al. Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy vs standard treatment to prevent recurrent cardiovascular events in patients wit...
Tinea capitis mimicking dissecting cellulitis: a distinct variant

Background Tinea capitis is a common scalp dermatosis with several clinical patterns. Only two patients with a presentation of tinea capitis mimicking dissecting cellulitis have been described in the English literature. Observation We report a patient with tinea capitis mimicking dissecting cellulitis who did not respond to griseofulvin therapy at 16 mg/kg/day but eventually cleared after a protracted course of higher dose griseofulvin. Conclusion Recognition of a dissecting cellulitis-like pattern of tinea capitis will increase clinical suspicion and avoid inappropriate management of a recalcitrant “dissecting cellulitis” in favor of prompt antifungal therapy of appropriate dosage and duration for patients with this unusual variant of tinea capitis.
E-W motion of aurorae as observed at Moscow, Idaho

Abstract E–W motions of aurorae were studied at Moscow, Idaho, from January 17 to April 1, 1966, inclusive. The experimental equipment consisted of an I.G.Y. pulse-type auroral radar and two receiving antennae, each consisting of a vertical dipole in a 90° corner reflector. The transmitting antenna was a Telrex vertically polarized Yagi. A total of 284 radar echoes were received. Of that number, it was possible to assign directions and speeds to 47 events. Another 63 echoes were stationary. The remaining 174 echoes were assigned a speed, but no direction. The E–W velocity characteristics of the aurorae under observation were as follows: 1. (a) The average radial velocity of eastward-moving aurorae was 414 m/sec. Westward moving structures had an average velocity of 502 m/sec. 2. (b) A reversal in the direction of motion was found to occur at 2.00 a.m. P.S.T. Approximately 83 per cent of the westerly auroral movements occurred before 2.00 a.m., and 83 per cent of the eastward-directed motions occurred after that hour. Stationary echoes occurred at any time of the day. 3. (c) The maximum hourly average speed of movements directed westward was 1210 m/seo and occurred between 11.00 p.m. and local midnight. The maximum value of movements directed eastward was 685 m/sec and occurred between 6.00 and 7.00 a.m. Hourly average speeds were significantly lower near the reversal hour.
Grouping in Japanese Quail. 2. Suppression of Humoral Immunity

Four-week-old Japanese quail were placed in either stable (isolate) or unstable (resident-visitor) groupings in this study. The visitor quail were transferred daily to cages containing unfamiliar residents, and the isolate quail were handled daily. The immune responsiveness to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), as indicated by production of hemagglutinins of the visitors and residents, was significantly less than that of the isolates, and the visitors were found to have less antibody than the residents. In subsequent experiments adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was used to compare its effect on immune responsiveness to that caused by grouping. The ACTH caused a suppression in humoral immune response, but only 8 IU ACTH/100 g body weight consistently suppressed antibody levels, indicating that the quail immune system is moderately resistant to this hormone. At the end of the experimental periods the bursa of Fabricius, spleen, and adrenal glands were removed. The relative weights of the organs suggested that grouping and ACTH did not induce the classical symptoms of physiological stress. However, stress was not eliminated as a possible cause of the immunosuppressive effects of grouping and ACTH found in this study, because there was significant body weight loss in unstable groupings and in ACTH-treated birds.
Identification of Electrolytes in Aqueous Solutions from Near-IR Spectra

Dissolution of electrolytes causes characteristic changes in the near-IR spectrum of water. These changes result from a decrease in the concentration of water; charge-dipole interactions between ions and water molecules; formation of hydrogen bonds between oxygen or nitrogen atoms in some ions and water molecules; production of H+ and OH- ions from dissociation and hydrolysis; absorptions due to OH, NH, and CH groups in some ions; and intrinsic colors of some transition metal ions. Changes in spectra were used for identification of electrolytes in aqueous solutions. Near-IR spectra of 71 solutions of single electrolytes were measured and used to develop a spectral library. This near-IR spectral library was processed with principal component regression (PCR) and used for the identification of single and multiple electrolytes in aqueous solutions with the use of their spectra. Most of the unknown electrolytes were identified correctly. For the others, very similar electrolytes were selected with one ion identified correctly. The near-IR spectral library of aqueous solutions of electrolytes can be used as a simple and fast approach for the identification of electrolytes.
Differential regulation of redox responsive transcription factors by the nephrocarcinogen 2,3,5-Tris(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone.

2,3,5-Tris(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone [TGHQ] is a potent nephrotoxicant and nephrocarcinogen, and induces a spectrum of mutations in human and bacterial cells consistent with those attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Studies were conducted to determine whether the oxidative stress induced by TGHQ in renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (LLC-PK1) modulates transcriptional activities widely implicated in transformation responses, namely 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) responsive element (TRE)- and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-binding activity. TGHQ increased TRE- and NF-κB-binding activity in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Catalase fully inhibited peak TGHQ-mediated TRE- and NF-κB-binding activity. In contrast, although deferoxamine fully inhibited TGHQ-mediated TRE-binding activity, it had only a marginal effect on NF-κB-binding activity. Collectively, these data indicate that TGHQ modulates TRE- and NF-κB-binding activity in an ROS-dependent fashion. Cycloheximide a...
Sarcoidosis: Treatment with Cortisone, ACTH and Urethane

A case of sarcoidosis complicated by chronic cor pulmonale and thrombosis of a pulmonary artery with post mortem findings is presented. Empirical trial with ACTH, cortisone and urethane clinically failed to alter the fatal course but autopsy failed to reveal any active sarcoid lesions. The presence of a large amount of scarring and collagen is taken to indicate a healing or healed process that occurred spontaneously and was not affected by the treatment or was induced by the hormonal or urethane therapy without benefit. Further confirmatory studies with these drugs in the earlier phase of this disease are necessary.
Converting human skin cells to neurons: a new tool to study and treat brain disorders?

Recent publications in Cell Stem Cell (Son et al., 2011; Ambasudhan et al., 2011), PNAS (Pfisterer et al., 2011), and Nature (Caiazzo et al., 2011; Pang et al., 2011; Yoo et al., 2011) report that functional neurons can be directly generated from human fibroblast cells without going through the pluripotent state.
Sleepiness/fatigue and distraction/inattention as factors for fatal versus nonfatal commercial motor vehicle driver injuries

A retrospective population-based case-control study was conducted to determine whether driver sleepiness/fatigue and inattention/distraction increase the likelihood that a commercial motor vehicle collision (CVC) will be fatal. Cases were identified as CVC drivers who died (fatal) and controls were drivers who survived (nonfatal) an injury collision using the Kentucky Collision Report Analysis for Safer Highways (CRASH) electronic database from 1998-2002. Cases and controls were matched on unit type and roadway type. Conditional logistic regression was performed. Driver sleepiness/fatigue, distraction/inattention, age of 51 years of age and older, and nonuse of safety belts increase the odds that a CVC will be fatal. Primary safety belt law enactment and enforcement for all states, commercial vehicle driver education addressing fatigue and distraction and other approaches including decreased hours-of-service, rest breaks and policy changes, etc. may decrease the probability that a CVC will be fatal.
PARP1 and phospho-p65 protein expression is increased in human HER2-positive breast cancers

Previous studies have shown that basal breast cancers, which may have an inherent "BRCAness" phenotype and sensitivity to inhibitors of poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP), express elevated levels of PARP1. Our lab recently reported that HER2+ breast cancers also exhibit sensitivity to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) by attenuating the NF-κB pathway. In this study, we assessed PARP1 and phospho-p65, a marker of activated NF-κB levels in human breast cancer tissues. PARP1 and PARP2 copy number, mRNA, and protein expression was assessed by interrogating the PAM-50 defined breast cancer patient set from the TCGA using cBioPortal. PARP1 and phospho-p65 immunohistochemistry and correlation to clinical parameters was conducted using 307 primary breast cancer specimens (132 basal, 82 luminal, 93 HER2+) through univariate and multivariate analyses. In the PAM50 breast cancer data set, PARP1 and 2 expression was altered in 24/58 (41 %) HER2+, 32/81 (40 %) basal, and 75/324 (23 %) luminal A/B breast cancer patients. This correlated with a statistically significant increase in PARP1 protein levels in HER2+ and basal but not luminal breast cancers (p = 0.003, p = 0.027, p = 0.289, respectively). No change in PARP2 protein level was observed. Interestingly, using breast cancer specimens from 307 patients, HER2 positivity correlated with elevated PARP1 expression (p < 0.0001) and was three times more likely than HER2 negative breast cancers to exhibit high PARP1 levels. No significant differences were noted between race, ER status, or PR status for PARP1 expression. Additionally, we found a significant correlation between HER2 status and phospho-p65 expression (p < 0.0001). Lastly, a direct correlation between PARP1 and phospho-p65 (p < 0.0001) was noted. These results indicate a potential connection between HER2, PARP1, and phospho-p65. Furthermore, these data suggest that the PARPi sensitivity we previously observed in HER2+ breast cancer cells may be due to elevated PARP1 expression.
Tracking the last sea-level cycle: Seafloor morphology and shallow stratigraphy of the latest Quaternary New Jersey middle continental shelf

Seafloor geomorphology and surficial stratigraphy of the New Jersey middle continental shelf provide a detailed record of sea-level change during the last advance and retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet (∽120 kyr B.P. to Present). A NW–SE-oriented corridor on the middle shelf between water depths of ∼40 m (the mid-shelf “paleo-shore”) and ∼100 m (the Franklin “paleo-shore”) encompasses ∼500 line-km of 2D Huntec boomer profiles (500–3500 Hz), an embedded 4.6 km2 3D volume, and a 490 km2 swath bathymetry map. We use these data to develop a relative stratigraphy. Core samples from published studies also provide some chronological and sedimentological constraints on the upper <5 m of the stratigraphic succession. The following stratigraphic units and surfaces occur (from bottom to top): (1) “R”, a high-amplitude reflection that separates sediment >∼46.5 kyr old (by AMS 14C dating) from overlying sediment wedges; (2) the outer shelf wedge, a marine unit up to ∼50 m thick that onlaps “R”; (3) “Channels”, a reflection sub-parallel to the seafloor that incises “R”, and appears as a dendritic system of channels in map view; (4) “Channels” fill, the upper portion of which is sampled and known to represent deepening-upward marine sediments ∼12.3 kyr in age; (5) the “T” horizon, a seismically discontinuous surface that caps “Channels” fill; (6) oblique ridge deposits, coarse-grained shelly units comprised of km-scale, shallow shelf bedforms; and (7) ribbon-floored swales, bathymetric depressions parallel to modern shelf currents that truncate the oblique ridges and cut into surficial deposits. We interpret this succession of features in light of a global eustatic sea-level curve and the consequent migration of the coastline across the middle shelf during the last ∼120 kyr. The morphology of the New Jersey middle shelf shows a discrete sequence of stratigraphic elements, and reflects the pulsed episodicity of the last sea-level cycle. “R” is a complicated marine/non-marine erosional surface formed during the last regression, while the outer shelf wedge represents a shelf wedge emplaced during a minor glacial retreat before maximum Wisconsin lowstand (i.e., marine oxygen isotope stage 3.1). “Channels” is a widespread fluvial subarial erosion surface formed at the late Wisconsin glacial maximum ∼22 kyr B.P. The shoreline migrated back across the mid-shelf corridor non-uniformly during the period represented by “Channels” fill. Oblique ridges are relict features on the New Jersey middle shelf, while the ribbon-floored swales represent modern shelf erosion. There is no systematic relationship between modern seafloor morphology and the very shallowly buried stratigraphic succession.
Comment on "Discretization problems of functional integrals in phase space"

It is shown that the definition of path integrals without limiting procedure does not give rise to unresolved factor-ordering ambiguities. Any inference from the recent work of Langouche et al. [Phys. Rev. D 20, 419 (1979)] that one is forced to resort to "discretization" (time slicing) to resolve these so-called "ambiguities" is thereby shown to be incorrect.
Planting Dates for Early-Maturing Soybean Cultivars

Early planting dates may not be required for successful culture of early-maturing soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] at midlatitudes in the USA. The objectives of this research were to evaluate early-maturing soybean cultivars in southern environments, to try to identify cultivar characteristics contributing to the fit of these cultivars into this cropping system, and to determine the range of planting dates that best discriminate among northern cultivars. Field trials, involving 12 Maturity Group (MG) II cultivars, were planted in late April to mid-May, late May to early June, mid-June, and mid-July on a Maury silt loam (fine, mixed, mesic Typic Paleudalf) near Lexington, KY, in 1993 and 1994. Yield response to planting date was consistent across years, showing best yields for mid-June plantings. Pioneer 9273 produced significantly more grain than all other cultivars. Across years and planting dates, the lowest yielding cultivar (IA 2008) produced 19% less than did Pioneer 9273, emphasizing the importance of cultivar selection. Canopy closure ratings at reproductive growth stages R2 or R5 were somewhat better related to yield than were plant mass (at R2 or R5) or plant height. The shortest cultivars had the greatest stubble losses; producers may want to avoid such cultivars. Identification of high-yielding cultivars was clearest for the first two planting dates. Perhaps cultivars that performed well under cool, moist soil conditions were favored by the earlier planting dates. Selection of early-maturing cultivars for production south of their traditional full-season areas appears to be best done from early planting dates in the southerly zone.