cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrient restriction of glucose or serum results in similar proteomic expression changes in 3D colon cancer cell cultures

Nutrient restriction, also known as caloric restriction, has been extensively examined for its positive impact on lifespan, immune system boost, and aging. In addition, nutrient restriction is implicated in decreasing cancer initiation and progression. Given the phenotypic changes associated with nutrient restriction, we hypothesized significant protein expression alterations must be associated with caloric restriction. To compare the molecular and phenotypic changes caused by glucose restriction and fetal bovine serum restriction there is need for an efficient model system. We establish 3-dimensional cell culture models, known as spheroids, in the HCT 116 colorectal cancer cell line as a high throughput model for studying the proteomic changes associated with nutrient restriction. Flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis and autophagy levels in the spheroids under nutrient restriction. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry were used to determine differential protein abundances between the nutrient restriction conditions. We identified specific proteins that have implications in cancer progression and metastasis that are differentially regulated by restriction of either glucose or serum. These proteins include the up-regulation of sirtuin 1 and protein inhibitor of activated STAT 1 and down-regulation of multi-drug resistance protein and Zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 7A. The results indicate nutrient restriction causes lower apoptotic and higher autophagy rates in HCT 116 spheroids. In addition, proteins shown to be differentially regulated by both glucose and serum restriction were similarly regulated.
The Illiberty of Contract

The term “liberty of contract” is usually associated with the doctrine that the due process clause of the United States Constitution prohibits or should prohibit the State from regulating contracts between private individuals. Many libertarians and free-market advocates embrace the liberty of contract doctrine because they are averse to State interference with private market transactions. But the term is ironic because a contract is only legally binding if courts will enforce it. Since courts derive their authority because they are the third branch of government, they are State actors and contractual enforcement involves the exercise of the State’s powers of coercion. This is problematic because the exercise of coercion by the State impinges on liberty. This article presumes that the fundamental purpose of the State is to advance liberty and provides an analysis of the relationship between liberty and contract rules and doctrines. Since it is distinctly Hayekian in motivation and spirit, it offers what might be called a “Hayekian” or “minimalist” libertarian theory of contracts. From this perspective, modern contract theories focusing on consent and consideration are welcome because they limit the use of State coercion. Contract rules and doctrines that facilitate relational agreements, such as the statute of frauds, a “soft” parol evidence rule, the use of mercantile practices and customs to interpret contract terms, and the use of ADR all help to advance liberty. Contract doctrines such as unconscionability, impracticability, and the unenforceability of agreements that are against public policy may also help to militate against the inappropriate exercise of State coercion.
Lack of Effect of Oral Sulforaphane Administration on Nrf2 Expression in COPD: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial

Background COPD patients have high pulmonary and systemic oxidative stress that correlates with severity of disease. Sulforaphane has been shown to induce expression of antioxidant genes via activation of a transcription factor, nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). Methods This parallel, placebo-controlled, phase 2, randomized trial was conducted at three US academic medical centers. Patients who met GOLD criteria for COPD and were able to tolerate bronchoscopies were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive placebo, 25 μmoles, or 150 μmoles sulforaphane daily by mouth for four weeks. The primary outcomes were changes in Nrf2 target gene expression (NQ01, HO1, AKR1C1 and AKR1C3) in alveolar macrophages and bronchial epithelial cells. Secondary outcomes included measures of oxidative stress and airway inflammation, and pulmonary function tests. Results Between July 2011 and May 2013, 89 patients were enrolled and randomized. Sulforaphane was absorbed in the patients as evident from their plasma metabolite levels. Changes in Nrf2 target gene expression relative to baseline ranged from 0.79 to 1.45 and there was no consistent pattern among the three groups; the changes were not statistically significantly different from baseline. Changes in measures of inflammation and pulmonary function tests were not different among the groups. Sulforaphane was well tolerated at both dose levels. Conclusion Sulforaphane administered for four weeks at doses of 25 μmoles and 150 μmoles to patients with COPD did not stimulate the expression of Nrf2 target genes or have an effect on levels of other anti-oxidants or markers of inflammation. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01335971.
Jersey-Style Neoliberalism: Governor Christopher Christie, Crony Capitalism, and the Politics of K-12 Education.

State Superintendent Anderson, you own this situation. For the third year in a row, you have forced your plans on the Newark community, without the measure of stakeholder input that anyone, lay or ...
Media Underreporting as a Barrier to India–Pakistan Trade Normalization: Quantitative Analysis of Newsprint Dailies

Over the past two decades, India and Pakistan have been involved in several activities regarding bilateral trade normalization. These developments have been concentrated around three periods: the late-1990s, mid-2000s, and early-2010s. Are these waves of trade-related activity reflected in popular media coverage? This question connects to a longstanding and important criticism that media coverage on India–Pakistan relations is preoccupied with security events, to the exclusion of non-security issues such as trade. A dearth of popular awareness on trade-related activities between India and Pakistan may limit the extent to which it is politically feasible for governments to further invest in trade normalization, or perhaps the extent to which the public pressure politicians to do so. This paper measures the quantum of nearly two decades of media coverage on India–Pakistan trade, among five newspapers: Times of India (TOI), Economic Times (ET), Business Standard (BS), New York Times (NYT), and Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Results indicate that ET, BS, and WSJ capture the dynamism of trade-related activities between India and Pakistan. TOI and NYT, by contrast, do not. The paper considers why underreporting in the TOI and NYT is problematic, and identifies future research directions.
Device nonideality effects on image reconstruction using memristor arrays

We analyze the effects of device variability during experimental image reconstruction using memristor crossbar arrays. The effects of device variability during online and offline training were carefully studied, along with device failures including SA0 and SA1. SA1 failure was found to significantly affect image reconstruction results, and a practical approach was developed to mitigate the effects of SA1 failure in memristor crossbars.
Dissecting Images: Multimodal Medical Anthropology.

When Foucault spiraled into the historical depths of the rise of the modern clinic and the double-edged sword of biopower, he foregrounded the primacy of the medical gaze (Foucault 1973). With each...
RBE in Normal Tissue Studies

Single dose RBEs for the radiations encountered in BNCT have been determined1 and can provide useful guidance for the tolerance to be expected. The difficulty of microdosimetric determination of dose2, the rapidly varying mix of constituent high and low LET radiations with depth, the possible synergistic interaction between high and low LET radiations3, and the strong dependence of biological efficacy on the distribution of boron within the cell are all factors limiting the usefulness of RBEs. Large animal studies arenecessary to determine late effect tolerance. To design, interpret, compare, and apply these studies to clinical use, it has been proposed to divide factors influencing “RBE” into two groups4; 1) estimated tolerance dose (ETD), which can be inferred from other experience reasonably well; and 2) compound factor (CF), which is much more variable as a function of microdosimetry and boron compound.
Opportunities and Shared Decision-Making to Help Children Who Are Deaf to Communicate.

* Abbreviation: DHH — : deaf or hard of hearing Parents and pediatricians agree about the importance of ensuring each child’s optimal physical, emotional, and social development. Largely because of its impact on communication, congenital hearing loss seriously threatens that development. In deciding how to communicate with their children, the parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), 92% of whom have normal hearing,1 have been torn for many years by the acrimonious debate between advocates of sign language versus advocates of aural and oral education. Fortunately, advances in technology and practice over the past 25 years (eg, newborn hearing screening, digital hearing aids, cochlear implants, and early educational intervention) have dramatically improved the opportunities for children who are DHH to learn communication skills critical to optimal development at levels comparable to their hearing peers. The majority of parents with infants who are profoundly deaf are now opting for cochlear implants, and research about the benefits of cochlear implants and early intervention has mitigated some of the historic debate between those advocating for sign language and those advocating for aural and oral education for children who are DHH.2–5 However, the role of sign language in helping children who … Address correspondence to Karl R. White, PhD, Psychology Department, Utah State University, 2615 Old Main Hill, Education Building # 430, Logan, UT 84322. E-mail: karl.white{at}usu.edu
Outcomes of Muscle Brachialis Transfer to Restore Finger Flexion in Brachial Plexus Palsy.

BACKGROUND In adults with lower trunk brachial plexus injury, proximal nerve surgery for restoration of prehension demonstrates poor outcomes secondary to long distances required for nerve regeneration and time-dependent degradation of motor endplates. Options for reconstruction are limited to distal tendon or nerve transfers and free-functioning muscle transfers. In this article, the authors describe the long-term outcomes of brachialis muscle-to-flexor digitorum profundus transfer to restore prehension in patients with traumatic lower trunk brachial plexus injuries. METHODS Eighteen adult patients with lower trunk brachial plexus palsy underwent brachialis muscle-to-flexor digitorum profundus transfer with the goal of restoring rudimentary prehensile function at a single institution. The patients were followed throughout their recovery with functional outcomes and patient satisfaction ratings. RESULTS Brachialis muscle transfer resulted in restoring modified British Medical Research Council grade 3 or better function in 11 of 18 patients and grade 4 function in eight of 18 patients. Eleven of the 18 patients demonstrated a postoperative functional grasp for assistance with activities of daily living. Overall patient satisfaction following brachialis muscle transfer was 56 percent. Patient preoperative wrist extension (p < 0.018) and finger extension (p < 0.029) strength correlated with improved outcomes, whereas concomitant upper extremity fracture (p < 0.023) was associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Brachialis muscle transfer is an option for reconstruction of prehensile function in patients with lower trunk brachial plexus palsy with preserved wrist extension. Brachialis muscle transfer is particularly useful in patients who are poor candidates for microsurgical free-functioning muscle transfer for grasp; however, its functional outcomes are not universally successful. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, IV.
Paleontology: Scanning for Sea Monsters.

Summary Land vertebrates have returned to the ocean several times, radically transforming their outward anatomy in the process. A new study of Mesozoic marine reptiles shows how minute balance organs in the inner ear transformed at the same time.
Is the Quality of Nursing Homes Countercyclical? Evidence From 2001 Through 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To examine whether nursing homes (NHs) provide better quality when unemployment rates rise (countercyclical) and explore mechanisms contributing to the relationship between quality and unemployment rates. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study uses the data on privately owned, freestanding NHs in the continental United States that span a period from 2001 through 2015. The empirical analysis relies on panel fixed-effect regressions with the key independent variable being the county-level unemployment rate. NH quality is measured using deficiencies, outcomes, and care process measures. We also examine nursing staff levels, as well as employee turnover and retention. RESULTS NHs have better quality when unemployment rates increase. Higher unemployment rates are associated with fewer deficiencies and lower deficiency scores. This countercyclical relationship is also found among other quality measures. In terms of mechanisms, we find higher nursing staff levels, lower employee turnover, and better workforce retention when unemployment rates rise. Improvement in staffing is likely contributing to better quality during recessions. Interestingly, these effects predominately occur in for-profit NHs for deficiencies and staffing levels. DISCUSSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS NH quality is countercyclical. With near record-low unemployment rates in 2018, regulatory agencies should pay close attention to NH quality when and where the local economy registers strong growth. On the other hand, the finding of the unemployment rate-staffing/turnover relationship also suggests that policies increasing staffing and reducing employee turnover may not only improve NH quality but also have the potential to smooth quality fluctuations between business cycles.
How Justice Pays

Plato argued that the just are better off than the unjust, but his argument hasn’t been entirely persuasive, and more recently Philippa Foot after many efforts simply gave up on trying to show that justice pays. However, if we consider certain psychological ideas that have not previously been brought into the discussion, there may be a way at least to show that the morally worst people are less well-off than most people are. The worst people, arguably, are serial killers, rapists, and so on, and there has to be some reason why they want to do the terrible things they want to do to people. Such people typically have had terrible abusive childhoods, and their depredations against others seem to represent a kind of revenge for what they suffered in childhood. A life of revenge shows an underlying unhappiness, and one can no more be happy with a life of taking revenge than with a life of scratching a proliferation of itches.
Comparison of Intravenous Immune Globulin and High Dose Anti-D Immune Globulin as Initial Therapy for Childhood Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura.

Background: Intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) and anti-D immune globulin are common first line therapies for pediatric immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Recently, a prospective randomized study in childhood ITP showed that high dose anti-D immune globulin (75 mcg/kg) was superior to the standard dose (50 mcg/kg) and as effective as IVIG (Tarantino et al Journal of Pediatrics, 2006). Since then, high dose anti-D immune globulin is being increasingly used in children with ITP. However, anti-D immune globulin can be associated with hemolysis and other side effects, especially at higher doses. We review our experience with IVIG and high dose anti-D immune globulin as initial treatment of childhood ITP. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of children diagnosed with ITP between January 2003 and May 2008. We collected demographic data, complete blood counts, treatment details, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and long-term outcome of these patients. Patients received either intravenous immune globulin (1 g/kg) or anti-D immune globulin (75 mcg/kg). All patients included received premedication with acetaminophen and diphenhydramine prior to either treatment. Response was defined by rise in platelet count after one dose or within 7 days of treatment; treatment failure = platelets 50,000/cmm. Results: A total of 53 patients were included for analysis (Table 1). Both groups had similar treatment response and there was no statistical difference in their initial presentation (presence of wet purpura, baseline platelet count, and hemoglobin), length of hospital stay, need for additional treatments, or development of chronic ITP. However, patients who received anti-D immune globulin experienced a higher rate of ADRs, particularly chills and rigors. In addition, 2 patients in the anti-D immune globulin group developed severe anemia requiring medical intervention. One of these 2 patients had hemoglobinuria consistent with intravascular hemolysis. Also, patients with wet purpura had higher rates of treatment failure (32%) compared to those without wet purpura (6%), regardless of the treatment modality. Conclusions: Our study confirms that both IVIG and high dose anti-D immune globulin are effective first line therapies in childhood ITP. However, we observed increased ADRs in the high dose anti-D group in contrast to previously published reports. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety of high dose anti-D immune globulin and determine the utility of using wet purpura to predict treatment failure. Table 1: Clinical and laboratory characteristics of study patients
Diagnostic Molecular Pathology

The integration of molecular diagnostics into routine clinical practice has made a significant impact in the diagnosis and management of solid tumors. While morphologic evaluation by light microscopy remains the cornerstone of anatomic pathology diagnosis, an expanding list of ancillary techniques, including immunohistochemistry, cytogenetics, and molecular testing, has been incorporated into the clinical diagnosis, management, and selection of targeted therapy. The discovery of a variety of molecular markers through genomic profiling of solid tumors, together with correlating these biomarkers with histologic features and clinical response to therapy and patient survival, has allowed the use of these molecular biomarkers for diagnostic, prognostic, predictive, and therapeutic purposes. The increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying solid organ malignancies together with the advances in technology have contributed to the rapid growth in clinical molecular testing and their implementation in diagnosis, therapy selection, and cancer screening.
Cyberinfrastructure Center of Excellence Pilot: Connecting Large Facilities Cyberinfrastructure

The National Science Foundation's Large Facilities are major, multi-user research facilities that operate and manage sophisticated and diverse research instruments and platforms (e.g., large telescopes, interferometers, distributed sensor arrays) that serve a variety of scientific disciplines, from astronomy and physics to geology and biology and beyond. Large Facilities are increasingly dependent on advanced cyberinfrastructure (i.e., computing, data, and software systems; networking; and associated human capital) to enable the broad delivery and analysis of facility-generated data. These cyberinfrastructure tools enable scientists and the public to gain new insights into fundamental questions about the structure and history of the universe, the world we live in today, and how our environment may change in the coming decades. This paper describes a pilot project that aims to develop a model for a Cyberinfrastructure Center of Excellence (CI CoE) that facilitates community building and knowledge sharing and that disseminates and applies best practices and innovative solutions for facility CI.
Topological quantum materials

Topological quantum materials are a class of compounds featuring electronic band structures, which are topologically distinct from common metals and insulators. These materials have emerged as exceptionally fertile ground for materials science research. The topologically nontrivial electronic structures of these materials support many interesting properties, ranging from the topologically protected states, manifesting as high mobility and spin-momentum locking, to various quantum Hall effects, axionic physics, and Majorana modes. In this article, we describe different topological matters, including topological insulators, Weyl semimetals, twisted graphene, and related two-dimensional Chern magnetic insulators, as well as their heterostructures. We focus on recent materials discoveries and experimental advancements of topological materials, and their heterostructures. Finally, we conclude with prospects for the discovery of additional topological materials for studying quantum processes, quasiparticles and their composites, as well as exploiting potential applications of these materials.
Response to checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) in sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC).

e17095Background: sRCC have a generally poor prognosis though recent clinical trial data suggest improved outcomes with CPI. We present a real-world experience of metastatic sRCC patients (pts) tre...
W ang Chong’s View of Ziran and its Influence on W ang Bi and G uo Xiang

Wang Chong’s influence on the Xuanxue movement is well known. His Lunheng was prized and used by Cai Yong, Wang Lang, and a number of others as aid in their argumentative pursuits, which largely followed the methods devised by Wang. Wang has sometimes even been referred to as the first of the Xuanxue scholars. In this chapter, I argue that Wang Chong’s view of the connection between nature and allotment and its implications for spontaneity influenced Xuanxue views of ziran, particularly those offered by Wang Bi and Guo Xiang, and offer a particular reading of Wang’s understanding of the link between ziran as principle of development and the concepts of nature and allotment. This led him to a view of ziran as itself a principle of development and activity tied to the nature of a thing. This view is further developed by Wang Bi and Guo Xiang, both of whom adopt a view of ziran as principle of development tied to the nature of a thing. Here, I outline the ways in which Wang Chong’s view can be found as informing those of both Wang Bi and Guo Xiang.
Serum Biomarkers in Postoperative Delirium after Esophagectomy

Background: The pathophysiology of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing esophagectomy is not well understood but has been hypothesized to involve neuroinflammation. Inflammatory biomarkers may therefore be associated with delirium incidence and severity. We conducted this study to measure the association between serum inflammatory biomarkers and postoperative delirium and delirium severity. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from patients enrolled in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial undergoing elective esophagectomy at Indiana University Health University Hospital. S100 calcium-binding protein B, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), interleukins 8, 10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1) were analyzed at preoperative, and postoperative days 1 and 3 timepoints. Delirium status and severity were assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit and Delirium Rating Scale (DRS-R-98), respectively. Results: Samples from 71 patients were included. Higher median CRP values were associated with delirium incidence at post-operative day 1 (no delirium: 22.7 IQR:2.2, 42.7; delirium: 35.4 IQR:25.0, 50.0, p=0.031) but not at post-operative day 3. Median CRP S100B serum values were correlated with mean delirium severity (-0.289, p=0.020). IGF-1 serum values were associated with delirium severity on post-operative day 1 (0.270, p=0.040). Conclusion: Postoperative delirium incidence was associated with higher median CRP values at POD1. The findings of this study provide evidence for the early measurement of post-operative serum biomarkers to ascertain likely incidence and severity of delirium.
Surgical Considerations for Newly Diagnosed Meningiomas

Meningiomas are the most common intracranial primary brain tumor, commonly encountered by neurosurgical oncologists. Maximal surgical resection continues to be the mainstay treatment for these tumors, and thus optimizing surgical considerations, particularly at the time of initial diagnosis, is important to managing these tumors. Herein we review indications for surgical intervention in patients with newly diagnosed meningiomas, as well as various perioperative considerations to maximize extent of resection and reduce perioperative morbidity. In addition, post-operative management is discussed, including the role of a multidisciplinary tumor board. Finally, we review how utilizing data from emerging studies aimed at correlating the genetic landscape of meningioma subgroups with clinical behavior can be considered.
Velocity Constrain Control of Ground Mobile Robots

Safety issues and actuator protection are critical concerns of robotic system design, such that the controller should ensure the operation strictly remain within a safety boundary even under unexpected disturbance or dramatic parameter calculation error. In this study, a bounded-output controller is addressed which can achieve the above pursuance and solve trajectory tracking problem of mobile robot simultaneously. In previous research, the output boundary is tuned by control parameters which are also responsible for trajectory tracking performance, so there will be a dilemma when balancing between tracking performance and velocity regulation pursuance. Our study avoids such problem by decoupling the controller output boundedness with control. Additionally, the bounded output of proposed controller can be guaranteed even if the reference signals are not subject to corresponding constraints, therefore, the reference signal will no longer assumed to be ideal in this study. Accordingly, the stability of tracking and velocity regulation are analyzed, simulations are conducted to demonstrate the performance of proposed controller, and its advantage over traditional methods.
Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication: FEMA’s Twitter use during the 2017 hurricane season

Abstract Applying content and semantic network analysis research methodologies, this study examined FEMA’s national and regional Twitter account posts during the historic 2017 hurricane season and argues for the expanded use of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model in researching risk and crisis communication during natural disasters. Messaging content was compared across time between FEMA and its regional counterparts during Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Nate. Results showed FEMA provided information to affected publics and bolstered its work using various Twitter features. Differences were identified in FEMA’s national and regional accounts’ posts. From hashtags to visual elements, FEMA's tweet content changed as the season progressed: more tweets included information about the impact of the storms; more tweets shared factual information from hurricane to hurricane; and the tweets tended to use more hashtags and account tags, which should broaden their audience.
Quantifying coastal system resilience for the US Army Corps of Engineers

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for the management of the Nation’s water resource infrastructure and is presently challenged to continue the safe operation and management of that aging infrastructure. These challenges span from changes in climate patterns to increased environmental concerns, greater coastal population densities and associated infrastructure, and limited budgets. One way to mitigate these issues is the concept of resilience. In 2013, the Coastal Engineering Research Board (CERB) began to define resilience and understand its relation to coastal water infrastructure needs. This work was a step forward in facilitating the USACE’s integration of resilience into coastal engineering assessment and project design. The CERB has defined resilience using the four concepts of “prepare,” “resist,” “recover,” and “adapt.” These four concepts are utilized in a system-wide approach that encompasses not only water resource engineered infrastructure (that the USACE builds and manages), but also considers community and ecological infrastructure. Using this framework and literature from previous federal and academic studies, three methods were developed that incorporate different levels of expert and data-driven assessment. Two of these methods, herein named Tier 1 and Tier 3, were tested in a pilot study in Jamaica Bay, NY. Building off of the results from Jamaica Bay, Tier 1 is being refined and Tier 2 is in development.
Frame Design without Using Effective Column Length

The pitfalls underlying the use of the effective column length concept in frame design are illustrated. It is shown that such a concept can be unsatisfactory for both braced and unbraced fromes whether they are loaded predominantly by gravity loads or by combined gravity and lateral loads. The basis for the development of a rational design method based upon the story stiffness concept is then presented. This design procedure can eliminate the use of the K-factor, if all secondary effects are included in the calculation of the real forces acting on the members. In the light of the unconservative nature of present design specifications, some fundamental formulation is proposed for their possible modifications. In particular, it is recommended that calculation of story stiffness be a clearly stated requirement in design codes.
The ADEPT Concept-Based Digital Learning Environment

We describe the design and application of a Digital Learning Environment (DLE) that is integrated with the collections and services of the Alexandria Digital Library (ADL). This DLE is in operational use in undergraduate teaching environments. Its design and development incorporate the assumption that deep understanding of both scientific phenomena and scientific methods is facilitated when learning materials are explicitly organized, accessed and presented at the level of granularity of appropriate sets of scientific concepts and their interrelationships. The DLE supports services for the creating, searching, and displaying: (1) knowledge bases (KBs) of strongly structured models of scientific concepts; (2) DL collections of information objects organized and accessible by the concepts of the KBs; and (3) collections of presentation materials, such as lectures and laboratory materials, that are organized as trajectories through the KB of concepts.
Lipoid proteinosis. Report of a case.

Abstract Lipoid proteinosis has seldom been reported in the dental literature. Since one of the prominent features of the disease is altered oral mucosa, the dentist should be familiar with the clinical and histologic aspects of this rare hereditary dermatosis.
Univariate and bivariate linkage analysis identifies pleiotropic loci underlying lipid levels and type 2 diabetes risk.

Dyslipidemia frequently co-occurs with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and with obesity. To investigate whether the co-occurrence is due to pleiotropic genes, we performed univariate linkage analysis of lipid levels and bivariate linkage analysis of pairs of lipid levels and of lipid levels paired with T2D, body mass index (BMI), and waist-hip ratio (WHR) in the African American subset of the Genetics of NIDDM (GENNID) sample. We obtained significant evidence for a pleiotropic low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)–T2D locus on chromosome 1 at 16–19 megabases (MB) (bivariate lod = 4.41), as well as a non-pleiotropic triglyceride (TG) locus on chromosome 20 at 28–34 MB (univariate lod = 3.57). In addition, near-significant evidence supported TG–T2D loci on chromosome 2 at 81–101 MB (bivariate lod = 4.23) and 232–239 MB (bivariate lod = 4.27) and on chromosome 7 at 147–151 MB (univariate lod = 3.08 for TG with P = 0.041 supporting pleiotropy with T2D), as well as an LDL-C–BMI locus on chromosome 3 at 137–147 MB (bivariate lod score = 4.25). These finding provide evidence that at least some of the co-occurrence of dyslipidemia with T2D and obesity is due to common underlying genes.
Determination of the disulfide bonds of human macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 using a gas phase sequencer

Publisher Summary The formation of inter- and intra-molecular disulfide bonds is an important post-translational modification in proteins, and most proteins containing multiple disulfide bonds adopt structures with unique disulfide bonding patterns. This chapter describes a procedure, which separates di PTH-cystine from all other PTH amino acids, including PTH-tyrosine. This procedure provides a simple way to determine the sequencer cycles, which yield diPTH-cystine while sequencing disulfide bonded peptides, and has been used to determine the disulfide bonding pattern in a recombinant form of human onocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (r hMCP-1). To isolate and analyze the disulfide bonded peptides from the protein, the native intact protein is digested with pepsin at pH 2, followed by RPHPLC analysis at the same pH. The peaks representing different peptides are collected and sequenced, and their location in the intact MCP-1 sequence is determined. A small amount of diPTH-cystine is seen in cycle 4, probably due to disulfide interchange during isolation and sequencing of the 46 minute peptide, which is common during the isolation and sequencing of disulfide bonded peptides. The data indicates that sequencing of the 46 minute peptide releases diPTH-cystine in cycles 5 and 9.
Measuring the benefits of environmental and public policy changes in cities: Short-term and long-term considerations

Abstract The paper investigates the relation between willingness-to-pay and change in property value measures of the benefits from an urban air quality improvement or other public policy change. We show that the two measures are not identical even in the open city case, nor does one measure consistently under- or over-estimate the other. The paper also develops a model of the effects of air quality improvements in the short run before the urban housing stock has fully adjusted to the change and investigates the values of the two benefit measures during this time period. We also consider the use of open and closed city models as alternative paradigms of the long-run effect of exogenous changes in cities.
Synthesis and structure of a mixed valence metal carbitoxide complex: Eu3[O(CH2CH2O)2CH2CH3]4(OC6H3iPr2-2,6)3

Abstract The direct reaction of europium metal with HO(CH2CH2O)2CH2CH3 followed by treatment with 2,6-iPr2C6H3OH leads to the crystallographically-characterizable, mixed valent carbitoxide product Eu3[O(CH2CH2O)2CH2CH3]4(OC6H3iPr2-2,6)3 (1), which contains bridging alkoxide ligands and both terminal and bridging aryloxide ligands.
EFFECT OF FRACTURE CRITERIA ON HIGH VELOCITY PERFORATION OF THIN BEAMS

An adequate ductile fracture locus has to be developed to reasonably model crack initiation and propagation in high velocity impact. Most of the fracture loci in the literature were proposed on the basis of tensile tests while in high velocity impact cracks usually occur in the region where shear and compression are dominant. In this paper, perforation response of a thin beam struck by a rigid, blunt projectile moving at a high velocity is simulated using, respectively, uniform fracture strain, Johnson-Cook's, and Bao-Wierzbicki's fracture locus for 2024-T351 aluminum alloy. The former two predict that materials in the impacted area of the beam beneath the rigid mass fail layer by layer, which is not consistent with experimental observations. By contrary, Bao-Wierzbicki's fracture locus, which was developed from up-setting, shear and tensile tests, and covers the whole range of the stress triaxiality, is capable of capturing all of the features occurring in the whole failure process. Numerical results reveal that the beam would fail by shear plugging at a high impact velocity and by tensile tearing at a velocity near the ballistic limit.
Dimensions of a Complex Concept: A Method Exemplified

A persistent problem within general science is the difficulty in maintaining a continuous reevaluation of the set of concepts in vogue. In the social sciences, concepts usually refer to sociocultural behavior and are used as models to organize data into manageable proportions on a given level of abstraction. Because of the highly intuitive base for most social science concepts, too often confidence in a given concept is a function of the length of time it has been around and the prestige of the people associated with it. This is especially true for very complex concepts which propose relationships that are difficult to demonstrate empirically. This article is a report of an investigation designed to evaluate such a concept, the method used having general applicability.
Multiubiquitin Chain Binding and Protein Degradation Are Mediated by Distinct Domains within the 26 S Proteasome Subunit Mcb1

Abstract The 26 S proteasome is a multisubunit proteolytic complex responsible for degrading eukaryotic proteins targeted by ubiquitin modification. Substrate recognition by the complex is presumed to be mediated by one or more common receptor(s) with affinity for multiubiquitin chains, especially those internally linked through lysine 48. We have identified previously a candidate for one such receptor from diverse species, designated here as Mcb1 forMultiubiquitin chain-binding protein, based on its ability to bind Lys48-linked multiubiquitin chains and its location within the 26 S proteasome complex. Even though Mcb1 is likely not the only receptor in yeast, it is necessary for conferring resistance to amino acid analogs and for degrading a subset of ubiquitin pathway substrates such as ubiquitin-Pro-β-galactosidase (Ub-Pro-β-gal) (van Nocker, S., Sadis, S., Rubin, D. M., Glickman, M., Fu, H., Coux, O., Wefes, I., Finley, D., and Vierstra, R. D. (1996) Mol. Cell. Biol. 16, 6020–28). To further define the role of Mcb1 in substrate recognition by the 26 S proteasome, a structure/function analysis of various deletion and site-directed mutants of yeast andArabidopsis Mcb1 was performed. From these studies, we identified a single stretch of conserved hydrophobic amino acids (LAM/LALRL/V (ScMcb1 228–234 and AtMcb1 226–232)) within the C-terminal half of each polypeptide that is necessary for interaction with Lys48-linked multiubiquitin chains. Unexpectedly, this domain was not essential for either Ub-Pro-β-gal degradation or conferring resistance to amino acid analogs. The domain responsible for these two activities was mapped to a conserved region near the N terminus. Yeast and Arabidopsis Mcb1 derivatives containing an intact multiubiquitin-binding site but missing the N-terminal region failed to promote Ub-Pro-β-gal degradation and even accentuated the sensitivity of the yeast Δmcb1 strain to amino acid analogs. This hypersensitivity was not caused by a gross defect in 26 S proteasome assembly as mutants missing either the N-terminal domain or the multiubiquitin chain-binding site could still associate with 26 S proteasome and generate a complex indistinguishable in size from that present in wild-type yeast. Together, these data indicate that residues near the N terminus, and not the multiubiquitin chain-binding site, are most critical for Mcb1 function in vivo.
Lomefloxacin: Microbiologic assessment and unique properties

Abstract In comparative studies, lomefloxacin, a new difluorinated quinolone, exhibits broad anti-bacterial activity in vitro, similar or superior to that of other quinolones (enoxacin, ofloxacin, pipemidic acid, nalidixic acid, and norfloxacin) but less than that of ciprofloxacin. Lomefloxacin inhibited Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus , and the majority of aerobic gram-negative rods, including nosocomial isolates, at concentrations readily achievable in biologic fluids and tissues. Lomefloxacin was less active against obligate anaerobes and streptococci. Organisms resistant to methicillin, penicillin, or the aminoglycosides were susceptible to lomefloxacin. No significant lomefloxacin resistance was identified in 18 countries in which in vitro studies were conducted, with the exception of a small number of strains tested in France. The frequency with which spontaneous single-step resistance to lomefloxacin develops in vitro is low.
Abutment tooth movement related to fit of a removable partial denture

109. Taylor RG, Doku HC, Coutoudidis S. Taste perception in older persons. J Dent Res 1963;41:78. Mones J. Jacobson’s organ-why do full upper denture wearers experience loss of taste and smell? Dent Survey 1950;26:185-6. Henkin RI, Christensen RL. Taste thresholds in patients with dentures. J Am Dent Assoc 1967;75:118-20. Martone AL, Edwards LF. Phenomenon of function in complete denture prosthodontics. Part III. Functional anatomic considerations. J PROSTHET DENT 1962;12:206-19. Laird DA. Does denture wearing affect the sense of taste? J Am Dent Assoc 1939;26:1518-19. Cohen T, Gutman L. Oral complaints and taste perception in the aged. J Gerontol 1959;14:294-8. Kapur K, Collister T, Fischer EE. Masticatory and gustatory salivary secretion rates and taste thresholds of denture wearers. J PROSTHET DENT 1967;18:406-16. Cooper RM, Bilash MA, Zubek JP. The effect of age in taste sensitivity. Gerontology 1959;14:56-8. Weiffenback JM, Baum BJ, Burghauser R. Taste thresholds: Quality specific variation with human aging. Geronotology 1982;37:372-7. Grzegorczyk PB, Jones SW, Mistretta CM. Age-related differences in salt taste acuity. J Gerontology 1979;34:834-40. Conger AD. Loss and recovery of taste acuity in patients irradiated to the oral cavity. Radiat Res 1973;53:338-47. Henkin RI, Talal N, Larson AL, Mattern CFT. Abnormalities of taste and smell in Sjogren’s syndrome. Am Int Med 1972;76:375-83. 110. Catalanotto FA, Sweeney EA. The effects of surgical desalivation of the rat on taste acuity. Arch Oral Biol 1972;17:145565. 111. Christensen CM, Navazesh M, Brightman VJ. Effects of pharmacological reductions in salivary flow in taste thresholds in man. Arch Oral Biol 1984;29:17-23. 112. McBurney DH, Pfaffmann C. Gustatory adaptation to saliva and sodium chloride. J Exp Psycho1 1963$5:523-O. 113. Merino T, Langford HG. Salivary sodium correlates with salt recognition threshold. Physiol Behav 1978;21:45-8. 114. Birch GG, Ray A. Taste acuity and composition of saliva in man. Arch Oral Biol 1979;24:561-3. 115. Henkin RI, Mueller CW, Wolf RD. Estimation of zinc concentration of parotid saliva in patients with idiopathic hypogeusia. J Lab Clin Invest 1975;86:175-80. 116. Fox PC, Van Der Ven PF, Sonies BC, Weiffenbach JM, Baum BJ. Xerostomia. Evaluation of a symptom with increasing significance. J Am Dent Assoc 1985;110:519-26.
Altered brain copper and zinc content in quaking mice

Abstract Brain copper and zinc levels were determined in 21-day-old and “adult” C 3 HeB FeJ quaking mice and in normal littermate controls. Expressed per gram dry weight of brain, copper was increased 84% over normal mice at 21 days after birth, but was not significantly different from normal in the adults. Zinc was increased 23 to 24% at both ages. At both ages, brains from quaking mice had a significantly reduced content of solids, indicating increased water content in the mutant brain. Our study is the first to report copper and zinc content as a measure of both wet and dry brain weights. Our results indicate abnormal copper content in the quaking mutant. The relationship between copper content and other aspects of the quaking phenotype, including its seizure behavior and myelin deficit, remain to be established.
Surface plasmons of a weakly disordered array of electron gas layers

Abstract We introduce a defect into a semi-infinite layered electron gas by changing the density on one layer. The interaction of surface plasmons and those localized around the defect are studied by calculating the density-density correlation function. The case of a depleted first layer is studied in detail and acoustical surface plasmons are predicted.
Triflic Acid-Catalyzed C(sp3)—H Functionalization of 2-Methyl Azaarenes with a α-Trifluoromethyl Imino Ester.

Triflic acid catalyzes both the functionalization of 2-alkyl azaarenes and concomitant N-deprotection of imino ester (II).
Prognosis of Minimally Invasive Carcinoma Arising in Mucinous Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas

While patients with surgically resected non-invasive mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) of the pancreas are cured, the behavior of surgically resected minimally invasive adenocarcinomas arising in MCN has not been well established. We report 16 surgically resected MCNs with minimal invasion defined as unifocal or multifocal microscopic invasive adenocarcinoma confined to the ovarian stroma of the MCN without capsular or pancreatic parenchymal invasion. Pathological findings were correlated with patient demographics, type of surgery, and long-term follow-up. Our study included 15 females and 1 male ranging in age from 25–66 years. The patients were followed for a mean of 48.6 months (range 12–148 months). The MCNs ranged in size from 3.5–25 cm and were all located in the body/tail of the gland. Lymphovascular invasion was not identified in any of the cases and all lymph nodes were negative for tumor. Ten neoplasms had unifocal invasion, while 6 had multifocal invasion. Twelve of the neoplasms were partially submitted for microscopic examination while 4 were submitted entirely. Only one of the 16 minimally invasive MCNs recurred, and that tumor had been minimally sampled pathologically. Our study demonstrates that the majority of patients with minimally invasive adenocarcinoma arising in MCN are cured by surgery, particularly if the neoplasms are completely examined histologically.
Comparison of Surgical Outcomes Between Canaloplasty and Trabeculectomy at 12 Months' Follow-Up

Purpose To compare operative outcomes of patients after canaloplasty and trabeculectomy through 12 months' follow-up. Design Retrospective, nonrandomized, comparative case series. Participants We included 33 eyes of 33 patients who underwent canaloplasty and 46 eyes of 46 patients who underwent trabeculectomy with 12 months' of postoperative follow-up. Methods Patients with open-angle glaucoma who underwent either canaloplasty or trabeculectomy with mitomycin C to control the intraocular pressure (IOP) between January 2007 and December 2008 were included. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon (R.S.A.). Main Outcome Measures Change in IOP, visual acuity (VA), postoperative medications, failure based on IOP (>18 or Results There were no differences in demographics, previous surgery, or preoperative and postoperative VA between the groups. The mean percentage reduction in IOP from preoperative values at 12 months after surgery was 32% (±22%) for the canaloplasty group compared with 43% (±28%) for the trabeculectomy group ( P = 0.072, Student t test). The median reduction in the number of medications at 12 months' follow-up was 3 in the trabeculectomy group and 2 in the canaloplasty group ( P = 0.064). A higher percentage of patients treated with canaloplasty than trabeculectomy (36% vs. 20%) required postoperative medications, although this did not attain significance ( P = 0.12). Failure based on IOP (IOP >18 or P = 0.23, Fisher exact test). There was no difference in surgical failure rates between the canaloplasty (n = 5; 15%) and trabeculectomy (n = 5; 11%) groups ( P = 0.74). Conclusions Canaloplasty and trabeculectomy both achieved significant reduction in IOP at 12 months. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.