cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Oscillations in Pancreatic Islets Depend on the Intracellular Ca2+ Level but Not Ca2+ Oscillations

Plasma insulin is pulsatile and reflects oscillatory insulin secretion from pancreatic islets. Although both islet Ca2+ and metabolism oscillate, there is disagreement over their interrelationship, and whether they can be dissociated. In some models of islet oscillations, Ca2+ must oscillate for metabolic oscillations to occur, whereas in others metabolic oscillations can occur without Ca2+ oscillations. We used NAD(P)H fluorescence to assay oscillatory metabolism in mouse islets stimulated by 11.1 mM glucose. After abolishing Ca2+ oscillations with 200 μM diazoxide, we observed that oscillations in NAD(P)H persisted in 34% of islets (n = 101). In the remainder of the islets (66%) both Ca2+ and NAD(P)H oscillations were eliminated by diazoxide. However, in most of these islets NAD(P)H oscillations could be restored and amplified by raising extracellular KCl, which elevated the intracellular Ca2+ level but did not restore Ca2+ oscillations. Comparatively, we examined islets from ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel-deficient SUR1−/− mice. Again NAD(P)H oscillations were evident even though Ca2+ and membrane potential oscillations were abolished. These observations are predicted by the dual oscillator model, in which intrinsic metabolic oscillations and Ca2+ feedback both contribute to the oscillatory islet behavior, but argue against other models that depend on Ca2+ oscillations for metabolic oscillations to occur.
Analysis of multivariate longitudinal data using quasi-least squares

In this paper we consider the analysis of multivariate longitudinal data assuming a scale multiple of Kronecker product correlation structure for the covariance matrix of the observations on each subject. The method used for the estimation of the parameters is the quasi-least squares method developed in the following three papers: Chaganty (J. Statist. Plann. Inference 63 (1997) 39), Shults and Chaganty (Biometrics 54 (1998) 1622) and Chaganty and Shults (J. Statist. Plann. Inference 76 (1999) 145). We show that the estimating equations for the correlation parameters in the quasi-least-squares method are optimal unbiased estimating equations if the data is from a normal population. An algorithm for computing the estimates is provided and implemented on a real life data set. The asymptotic joint distribution of the estimators of the regression and correlation parameters is derived and used for testing a linear hypothesis on the regression parameters.
Pressure changes in Guyon's canal after carpal tunnel release

We measured pressure changes in Guyon's canal and the carpal tunnel before and after endoscopic (11 cases) and open (10) carpal tunnel release. We found that release of the flexor retinaculum by endoscopic and open techniques measurably decreased pressure in both the carpal tunnel and Guyon's canal. This study provides an explanation for relief of ulnar tunnel syndrome symptoms following carpal tunnel release and may indicate that carpal tunnel release alone may be sufficient to provide symptomatic relief for most patients with carpal and ulnar tunnel syndromes.
On a graph's security number

A secure set [email protected]?V of graph G=(V,E) is a set whose every nonempty subset can be successfully defended from an attack, under appropriate definitions of ''attack'' and ''defended.'' The set S is secure when |N[X]@?S|>=|N[X]-S| for every [email protected]?S. The smallest cardinality of a secure set in G is the security number of G. New bounds for the security number are established, the effect of some graph modifications on the security number is investigated, and the exact value of the security number for some families of graphs is given.
Automating Document Annotation Using Open Source Knowledge

Annotating documents with relevant and comprehensive keywords offers invaluable assistance to the readers to quickly overview any document. The problem of document annotation is addressed in the literature under two broad classes of techniques namely, key phrase extraction and key phrase abstraction. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to generate summary phrases for research documents. Given the dynamic nature of scientific research, it has become important to incorporate new and popular scientific terminologies in document annotations. For this purpose, we have used crowd-source knowledge bases like Wikipedia and WikiCFP (a open source information source for call for papers) for automating key phrase generation. Also, we have taken into account the lack of availability of the document's content (due to protective policies) and developed a global context based key-phrase identification approach. We show that given only the title of a document, the proposed approach generates its global context information using academic search engines like Google Scholar. We evaluated the performance of the proposed approach on real-world dataset obtained from a computer science research document corpus. We quantitatively evaluated the performance of the proposed approach and compared it with two baseline approaches.
Glycated Hemoglobin, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Risk in Nondiabetic Adults

Methods We compared the prognostic value of glycated hemoglobin and fasting glucose for identifying adults at risk for diabetes or cardiovascular disease. We measured glycated hemoglobin in whole-blood samples from 11,092 black or white adults who did not have a history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease and who attended the second visit (occurring in the 1990–1992 period) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Results The glycated hemoglobin value at baseline was associated with newly diagnosed diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes. For glycated hemoglobin values of less than 5.0%, 5.0 to less than 5.5%, 5.5 to less than 6.0%, 6.0 to less than 6.5%, and 6.5% or greater, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) for diagnosed diabetes were 0.52 (0.40 to 0.69), 1.00 (reference), 1.86 (1.67 to 2.08), 4.48 (3.92 to 5.13), and 16.47 (14.22 to 19.08), respectively. For coronary heart disease, the hazard ratios were 0.96 (0.74 to 1.24), 1.00 (reference), 1.23 (1.07 to 1.41), 1.78 (1.48 to 2.15), and 1.95 (1.53 to 2.48), respectively. The hazard ratios for stroke were similar. In contrast, glycated hemoglobin and death from any cause were found to have a J-shaped association curve. All these associations remained significant after adjustment for the baseline fasting glucose level. The association between the fasting glucose levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease or death from any cause was not significant in models with adjustment for all covariates as well as glycated hemoglobin. For coronary heart disease, measures of risk discrimination showed significant improvement when glycated hemoglobin was added to models including fasting glucose. Conclusions In this community-based population of nondiabetic adults, glycated hemoglobin was similarly associated with a risk of diabetes and more strongly associated with risks of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause as compared with fasting glucose. These data add to the evidence supporting the use of glycated hemoglobin as a diagnostic test for diabetes.
Is donor airway microbiology a predictor of outcome in lung transplant recipients

to 157.7 10.6 nmol/l, p 0.014. In 8 of 12 experiments, the maximal 5HT level in coronary sinus blood was above 10 7 mol/l. 2) 5HT induced vasoconstriction in coronary artery segments after BD, whereas in controls, only a slight reaction was seen. In segments without endothelium, the vasoconstrictory effect of 5HT was more pronounced, but no significant difference between the BD and control group could be demonstrated, suggesting that endothelium is largely responsible for the differential reaction between BD and control dogs (figure).
Female-Specific Hypertension Loci on Rat Chromosome 13

A 3.7-Mb region of rat chromosome 13 (45.2–49.0 Mb) affects blood pressure (BP) in females only, indicating the presence of sex-specific BP loci in close proximity to the Renin locus. In the present study, we used a series of Dahl salt-sensitive/Mcwi-13 Brown Norway congenic rat strains to further resolve BP loci within this region. We identified 3 BP loci affecting female rats only, of which the 2 smaller loci (line9 BP3 and line9 BP4 ) were functionally characterized by sequence and expression analysis. Compared with SS (SS/HsdMcwiCrl), the presence of a 591-kb region of BN (BN/NHsdMcwi) chromosome 13 (line9 BP3 ) significantly lowered BP by 21 mm Hg on an 8% NaCl diet (153±7 versus 174±5 mm Hg; P BP4 ) completely erased the female-specific BP protection on 8% NaCl diet, suggesting that BN hypertensive allele(s) reside in this region. The congenic interval of the protective line 9F strain contains 3 genes ( Optc , Prelp , and Fmod ), and the hypertensive line 9E contains 1 additional gene ( Btg2 ). Sequence analysis of the 2 BP loci revealed a total of 282 intergenic variants, with no coding variants. Analysis of gene expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed strain- and sex-specific differences in Prelp , Fmod , and Btg2 expression, implicating these as novel candidate genes for female-specific hypertension.
Maternal-Fetal Transport A Nurse Team

Northwestern Perinatal Center in Chicago, Illinois, developed and implemented a maternal-fetal transport system. The system is unique not only because it is in a metropolitan area but also because the transport teams are nurses only in more than 95% of the maternal-fetal transports. Rationale and design of the system, development of the team, discussion of problems, and certification process for nurses is presented.
Simvastatin- and Fluvastatin-Associated Nightmares

The authors present a case of nightmares induced by the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase inhibitors simvastatin and fluvastatin. A 79-year-old Caucasian male initially treat...
The phylogeny of Old World monkeys

The living Old World monkeys, family Cercopithecidae, are the most successful group of nonhuman primates alive today. Overall, they account for over one quarter of the extant genera of primates and approximately 40% of the species. They have an extensive fossil record extending back to the early and middle Miocene of Africa.1,2 Despite this specific diversity and a long evolutionary history, it is commonly argued that the group is relatively uniform in both its skeletal3 and dental4 anatomy, suggesting that much of the current taxonomic diversity is a relatively recent phenomenon. In such a species group, it is perhaps not surprising that the taxonomy of Old World monkeys is subject to many differing classifications. Thus, in recent years, authors have recognized as few as 10 and as many as 22 different genera within the family. Although some of this greater-than-two-fold difference in the number of genera can be attributed to the “splitting” versus “lumping” philosophies of different researchers, much of it is based on major disagreements over phylogenetic relationships. Recent studies of the genetics and chromosomes of this group have illuminated Old World monkey phylogeny in many ways. Some of these studies have resolved longstanding debates based on morphological data; others have revealed phylogenetic relationships that morphologists had never suspected.
Rank-deficient dispersive covariance MIMO precoders

Recent research for multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) systems has utilized the linear structure of linear dispersion codes (LDCs) to construct precoders with partial transmitter channel knowledge. In this paper, we build upon a coding structure known as dispersive covariance coding (DCC) derived in R. Hayes and J.J. Caffery (2005) for precoding scenarios in which statistical channel covariance knowledge is present at the transmitter. Previous work on DCCs has focused on special full-rank cases where code parameters were fixed. In this paper, we relax DCC parameter selection and design DCC codes with improved design flexibility such that any desired number of channel modes can be excited by the precoder. Unlike previous full-rank DCCs, we prove that our new DCCs are rank-deficient. Through theory and numerical simulation, we quantify the system's resulting loss in capacity. Furthermore, we develop useful distance metrics which illustrate the relationship between the full-rank and rank-deficient precoders
Peer Conflict Avoidance: Associations with Loneliness, Social Anxiety, and Social Avoidance

Failure to resolve peer conflict is associated with children's reports of loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance. Although these relationships are well established, researchers have not examined the association between the avoidance of peer conflict and various adjustment characteristics. The current study examined the association between avoidance of conflict and measures of loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance for 59 pupils in Grade 4 (31 boys and 28 girls) and 47 in Grade 8 (22 boys and 25 girls). Volunteers indicated that conflict avoidance based on autonomy, e.g., independence issues, and interpersonal issues, e.g., closeness and cohesion, was associated with scores on loneliness for boys and girls, respectively. Conflict avoidance for emotional and physical well-being and fear of punishment was associated with increased reports of loneliness and social anxiety for children in Grade 4.
Parental stress predicts functional outcome in pediatric cancer survivors

Background: Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for long-term neurocognitive and psychosocial morbidities. Research has seldom examined the relationship between these morbidities; thus, little empirical evidence exists concerning overall salience and how morbidities converge to impair day-to-day functioning. An increased understanding of functional impairment resulting from the pediatric cancer experience can inform early risk identification as well as sources for intervention. The purpose of this study was to characterize the frequency/severity of functional impairment and identify significant neurocognitive and psychosocial determinants of functional impairment. Methods: Fifty child–parent dyads were enrolled. Children were aged 7–19 years who were at least 2 years postdiagnosis with leukemia/lymphoma and were recruited through a pediatric oncology late effects clinic. Parents completed questionnaires, rating their own adjustment to their child’s illness as well as their child’s level of functional impairment, while a brief neuropsychological exam was administered to children. Results: Twenty-six percent of the sample evidenced clinically significant functional impairment. Regression analyses indicated that neurocognitive deficits did not predict functional impairment, whereas parental stress was a significant predictor. Conclusions: Although children demonstrated both neurocognitive deficits and functional impairments, results favor psychosocial factors, such as parental stress, as a predictor of overall functional impairment. The implications of this study suggest that late effects aggregate to impact day-to-day functioning in pediatric cancer survivor populations and parental stress may serve as a marker for heightened risk. The results suggest that broader functional domains, especially school and self-care domains, should be evaluated and considered when identifying potential targets for psychosocial interventions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Academic Achievement and Individual in the Learning Processes of Basic Skills Students in the University

This study analyzed the relationship between the academic achievement and information-processing habits of basic skills students in the university. Academic achievement was measured by grade-point average (GPA) and American College Testing Program Assessment (ACT) scores. Information-processing habits were determined by the Inventory of Learning Processes (ILP). There was no significant difference in the ILP profiles of high- and low-achieving basic skills students, whether they were grouped by ACT or GPA. Study Methods was the only scale that showed a significant correlation with academic achievement —namely, a negative correlation with ACT. A path analysis indicated that the effect of Study Methods on GPA is indirect, as mediated by ACT. Since ACT assesses prior achievement (i.e., high-school performance), it appears that learning style has an effect prior to college entrance. Basic skills students with low ACT scores tend to substitute conventional study methods for deep elaborative processing, but the...
Synchrony can destabilize reward-sensitive networks

When exposed to rewarding stimuli, only some animals develop persistent craving. Others are resilient and do not. How the activity of neural populations relates to the development of persistent craving behavior is not fully understood. Previous computational studies suggest that synchrony helps a network embed certain patterns of activity, although the role of synchrony in reward-dependent learning has been less studied. Increased synchrony has been reported as a marker for both susceptibility and resilience to developing persistent craving. Here we use computational simulations to study the effect of reward salience on the ability of synchronous input to embed a new pattern of activity into a neural population. Our main finding is that weak stimulus-reward correlations can facilitate the short-term repetition of a pattern of neural activity, while blocking long-term embedding of that pattern. Interestingly, synchrony did not have this dual effect on all patterns, which suggests that synchrony is more effective at embedding some patterns of activity than others. Our results demonstrate that synchrony can have opposing effects in networks sensitive to the correlation structure of their inputs, in this case the correlation between stimulus and reward. This work contributes to an understanding of the interplay between synchrony and reward-dependent plasticity.
Tunnel expansion after hamstring anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with 1-incision EndoButton femoral fixation

In this study, we compared a study group of 20 patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with hamstring autografts using a 1-incision endoscopic technique verses a control group of 20 patients using a 2-incision technique. The patient groups were compared based on increase of bone tunnel diameter seen radiographically, physical examination, and arthrometer measurements. The 1-incision technique differed from the 2-incision technique in 2 ways: an EndoButton femoral fixation system and drilling of the femoral tunnel through the tibial tunnel (transtibial). This study shows that the majority of tunnel diameter measurements for the 1-incision ACL reconstruction technique were greater than those of the 2-incision ACL reconstruction technique using autologous hamstring tendons, at both 3 and 12 months of follow-up. Between 3 and 12 months follow-up, there was no statistical differences in tunnel enlargement between the 2 groups of patients. The measured tunnel enlargement, therefore, would have occurred before the 3-month follow-up. There was no significant difference in the Lachman or arthrometer testing in either group of patients at the termination of this study. This indicates that, although tunnel expansion is significant, the increased expansion is not related to increased knee laxity in the first year.
Environmental Modeling for Autonomous Virtual Pedestrians

We present a technique for modeling large-scale urban environments for virtual human simulation. Our approach, which involves a set of hierarchical data structures, supports the efficient interaction between numerous autonomous pedestrians and their environment, including perceptual processing and path planning for the purposes of goal directed navigation. As a specific implementation of our approach, we develop an environmental model of a large train station and demonstrate its ability to support the real-time simulation of more than a thousand autonomous pedestrians engaged in a broad variety of individual and group behaviors appropriate to their large-scale urban environment.
SIGMA-BONDED ORGANIC DERIVATIVES OF HAFNIUM

Abstract The formation and properties of bis-(π-cyclopentadienyl)-bis-(σ-pentafluorophenyl) hafnium and 5,5-bis-(π-cyclopentadienyl)octafluorodibenzohafhol are discussed.
A high-accuracy consensus map of yeast protein complexes reveals modular nature of gene essentiality

Identifying all protein complexes in an organism is a major goal of systems biology. In the past 18 months, the results of two genome-scale tandem affinity purification-mass spectrometry (TAP-MS) assays in yeast have been published, along with corresponding complex maps. For most complexes, the published data sets were surprisingly uncorrelated. It is therefore useful to consider the raw data from each study and generate an accurate complex map from a high-confidence data set that integrates the results of these and earlier assays. Using an unsupervised probabilistic scoring scheme, we assigned a confidence score to each interaction in the matrix-model interpretation of the large-scale yeast mass-spectrometry data sets. The scoring metric proved more accurate than the filtering schemes used in the original data sets. We then took a high-confidence subset of these interactions and derived a set of complexes using MCL. The complexes show high correlation with existing annotations. Hierarchical organization of some protein complexes is evident from inter-complex interactions. We demonstrate that our scoring method can generate an integrated high-confidence subset of observed matrix-model interactions, which we subsequently used to derive an accurate map of yeast complexes. Our results indicate that essentiality is a product of the protein complex rather than the individual protein, and that we have achieved near saturation of the yeast high-abundance, rich-media-expressed "complex-ome."
Communication Breakdown: Information and Risk in Spanish Atlantic World Trade during an Era of 'Free Trade' and War

Spanish merchants engaged in long distance trade during the Early Modern era faced a multitude of risks and uncertainties. Inclement weather, enemy forces, piracy, unpredictable markets, and a pano...
Increasing fault coverage for synchronous sequential circuits by the multiple observation time test strategy

The authors consider the problem of test generation for synchronous sequential circuits for the case where no hardware reset is available, and show that initialization is not a necessary requirement for a practical test generator. They present a test generation procedure for gate-level circuits which is based on multiple observation time units and multiple fault-free sequences, and they show that test sequences can be found by this procedure in cases where conventional test generators fail to find tests due to their failure to initialize the circuit. Experimental results for ISCAS-89 benchmark circuits are presented to support the claim that fault coverage can be significantly increased, while requiring small numbers of observation times and small numbers of fault-free responses. >
Occupational cultures as a challenge to technological innovation

This paper explains conflict over technological process innovation in cultural terms, drawing primarily on a case study of electric power distribution and strategies to automate its operation. The paper shows how different occupational cultures, "operators" and "engineers," use different mental models or cognitive representations of technology that are adaptive to their particular work contexts, but which give rise to conflicting evaluations of technological innovation. While these cultural groups may be motivated by a common interest in the successful performance of the technical system, they value different sets of criteria for system design and promising modifications. Despite the apparent contradiction, each perspective is internally consistent and rational. The paper argues that it is beneficial for management to consider these diverse perspectives carefully when planning technological innovation.
A High Efficiency Iron-Chloride Redox Flow Battery for Large-Scale Energy Storage

We report advances on a novel membrane-based iron-chloride redox flow rechargeable battery that is based on inexpensive, earth-abundant, and eco-friendly materials. The development and large-scale commercialization of such an iron-chloride flow battery technology has been hindered hitherto by low charging efficiency resulting from parasitic hydrogen evolution at the negative electrode and high overpotential losses. We have demonstrated a high charging efficiency of 97% by maintaining the negative electrolyte at a pH value of 2 and by using indium chloride as an electrolyte additive. The high charging efficiency of the negative electrode was found to be stable over at least 50 cycles. Further, we have demonstrated that with a graphite felt electrode, the overpotential losses were substantially mitigated at the positive and negative electrodes allowing the electrodes to be operated at current densities as high as 100 mA/cm2. With these technical advancements, the iron-chloride redox flow battery has an increased prospect of being a sustainable and efficient solution for large-scale energy storage.
Experience with cortisone in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

The authors describe their clinical experience in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with cortisone. Several dosage schedules were used in an attempt to produce more lasting benefits from this powerful and dramatic agent. Encouraging results with combined cortisone and gold salts are recorded. Case histories are given illustrating the value of cortisone as an aid toward the rehabilitation of the seriously crippled arthritic patient.
Development Tendency and Appropriate Choice of Coal Shield Haulers

Analyses and researches the classification,the technical aspect and the development tendency of the domestic coal shield haulers in present;Puts forward an appropriate choice scheme of the coal shield haulers which are used to carry the longwall devices rapidly;Meet the carrying needs of the longwall devices.
Study on the feature-rich collocation translation

This paper proposes a new method for collocation translation. We exploit a collocation translation model that can make full use of all available information derived from both monolingual and bilingual corpora. Instead of heavily relying on bilingual parallel corpora, our approach can train translation models using monolingual corpora. Both inside-collocation information and contextual information are exploited in our model. The EM algorithm is applied to estimate contextual word translation probabilities using a monolingual corpus. Our model also has the ability to integrate bilingual derived features if they are available. Experiments show that our approach outperforms the existing monolingual corpus based on methods in collocation translation and achieves better results when making use of available bilingual corpus.
Studies on blood pressure during pregnancy: I. Influence of parity and age

Routine prenatal visit blood pressure measurements were used to examine the differences in blood pressure by age and parity in a cohort of 6,662 white gravidas. Both age and parity were observed to have significant effects on blood pressure during pregnancy. For a given age, nulliparas were observed to have higher mean blood pressures than parous gravidas, irrespective of the inclusion or exclusion of gravidas who were diagnosed to have hypertensive disorders during their pregnancies.
Xenopus Egg Extracts as a Simplified Model System for Structure–Function Studies of Dynein Regulators

Many proteins act in multiple pathways which complicates phenotypic analysis. Xenopus egg extracts reconstitute complex reactions in vitro, and this can be used to develop assays that isolate a single function of a multifunctional protein. We have applied this system to study regulators of cytoplasmic dynein (dynein), which has numerous roles in the cell including trafficking, nuclear migration, and mitotic spindle formation. Here we describe a functional assay to specifically study the regulation of spindle pole self-organization by dynein and summarize an experimental approach that was used to perform a structure-function analysis of its regulator Ndel1. The approaches presented here can be generalized to isolate a single function of other multifunctional proteins.
The sense of beauty and the sense of art Hutcheson's place in the history and practice of aesthetics

L'A. souligne l'originalite et l'influence de F. Hutcheson dans l'histoire de l'esthetique, marquee par sa definition de la nature et de la perception de la beaute. L'A. etudie le theme moins celebre chez Hutcheson de l'utilisation de la beaute dans l'appreciation des beaux-arts
TET2 in Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis

The ten-eleven translocation (TET) family of enzymes were originally cloned from the translocation breakpoint of t(10;11) in infant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with subsequent genomic analyses revealing somatic mutations and suppressed expression of TET family members across a range of malignancies, particularly enriched in hematological neoplasms. The TET family of enzymes is responsible for the hydroxylation of 5-methylcytosines (5-mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), followed by active and passive mechanisms leading to DNA demethylation. Given the complexity and importance of DNA methylation events in cellular proliferation and differentiation, it comes as no surprise that the TET family of enzymes is intricately regulated by both small molecules and regulatory cooperating proteins. Here, we review the structure and function of TET2, its interactions with cooperating mutations and small molecules, and its role in aberrant hematopoiesis.
Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Genotype Influences Power Output in Healthy Subjects.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ADRB2 genotypes on muscle function (absolute power and relative power) in healthy subjects. We performed genotyping of the ADRB2 (amino acid 16) and high-intensity, steady-state exercise on 77 healthy subjects (AA = 18, AG = 25, GG = 34). There were no differences between genotype groups in age, height, weight, or body mass index (BMI) (age = 28.9 ± 5.7 years, 27.9 ± 5.7 years, 29.2 ± 5.9 years, height = 170.7 ± 8.6 cm, 174.9 ± 8.7 cm, 173.4 ± 9.6 cm, weight = 68.5 ± 13.0 kg, 75.0 ± 12.9 kg, 74.4 ± 12.9 kg, and BMI = 23.4 ± 3.9, 24.4 ± 2.9, 24.7 ± 3.4, for AA, AG, and GG, respectively). The genotype groups differed significantly in watts, and watts/V[Combining Dot Above]O2 with heavy exercise (watts = 186.3 ± 54.6, 237.8 ± 54.4, 219.4 ± 79.5, watts/V[Combining Dot Above]O2 = 0.08 ± 0.006, 0.09 ± 0.005, 0.08 ± 0.006). There was a trend toward significance (p = 0.058) for W·kg-1 (2.7 ± 0.4, 3.2 ± 0.5, 2.9 ± 0.8, for AA, AG, and GG, respectively). These data suggest that genetic variation of the ADRB2 may influence relative strength in healthy subjects and may become an important genetic determinant of muscular strength and functional capacity in patients with diseases that result in a loss of muscle strength.
SSB recruitment of Exonuclease I aborts template-switching in Escherichia coli

Misalignment of a nascent strand and the use of an alternative template during DNA replication, a process termed "template-switching", can give rise to frequent mutations and genetic rearrangements. Mutational hotspots are frequently found associated with imperfect inverted repeats ("quasipalindromes" or "QPs") in many organisms, including bacteriophage, bacteria, yeast and mammals. Evidence suggests that QPs mutate by a replication template-switch whereby one copy of the inverted repeat templates synthesis of the other. To study quasipalindrome-associated mutagenesis ("QPM") more systematically, we have engineered mutational reporters in the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli, that revert to Lac+ specifically by QPM. We and others have shown that QPM is more efficient during replication of the leading strand than it is on the lagging strand. We have previously shown that QPM is elevated and that the leading-strand bias is lost in mutants lacking the major 3' ssDNA exonucleases, ExoI and ExoVII. This suggests that one or both of these exonucleases more efficiently abort template-switches on the lagging strand. Here, we show that ExoI is primarily responsible for this bias and that its ability to be recruited by single-strand DNA binding protein plays a critical role in QPM avoidance and strand bias. In addition to these stand-alone exonucleases, loss of the 3' proofreading exonuclease activity of the replicative DNA polymerase III also greatly elevates QPM. This may be because template-switching is initiated by base misincorporation, leading to polymerase dissociation and subsequent nascent strand misalignment; alternatively or additionally, the proofreading exonuclease may scavenge displaced 3' DNA that would otherwise be free to misalign.
De-escalating and escalating systemic therapy in triple negative breast cancer

Abstract Triple negative breast cancer has the highest relapse risk of all the clinical subsets, although the escalation of chemotherapy has benefited this subset substantially over recent years. Systemic options are limited to chemotherapy, which makes meaningful de-escalation or escalation of therapy more challenging but possible. Observational cohorts suggest a less than 10% risk of relapse and minimal if any benefit of chemotherapy in very small (
Acceptability of an Opioid Relapse Prevention Text-message Intervention for Emergency Department Patients

Objective To explore whether a text message-based relapse prevention intervention (Preventing and Interrupting Early Relapse [PIER]1) is acceptable to treatment-seeking adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) after Emergency Department (ED) discharge using mixed-methods design. Methods Adults seeking care in an urban ED for OUD (n = 20; mean age 22; 55% female; 75% white race) completed a baseline survey, and were invited to enroll in PIER1, which was delivered in 7-day blocks, with the option to re-enroll at the end of each block, up to 4 blocks. PIER1 included a morning "push" message focused on positive thinking, adaptive coping feedback tailored to twice-daily assessments of craving severity and contextual correlates of craving, and end-of-day feedback on daily opioid use and goal commitment. Participants were asked to complete a follow-up phone interview after the first 7 days of PIER1. Transcripts were thematically coded. Results Seventeen out of 20 participants enrolled in PIER1. In the first 7 days, response rates to text-message assessments averaged 30%. Ten out of 17 participants re-enrolled after 7 days. Main themes from follow-up interviews (n = 9) included ease of use, social connection, and self-empowerment. Participants desired more personalized support and the ability to communicate through text messaging with another person about their struggles. Event-level data suggest that higher craving severity increased risk of opioid lapses. Conclusions In this mixed-methods intervention development study, we found conflicting evidence supporting an automated text-message intervention providing relapse prevention support for treatment-seeking individuals with OUD discharged from the ED. Qualitative feedback suggests that PIER1 could be useful and acceptability enhanced through personalized human support.
Materials Characterization of Cranial Simulants for Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury.

Introduction The mechanical response of brain tissue to high-speed forces in the blast and blunt traumatic brain injury is poorly understood. Object-to-object variation and interspecies differences are current limitations in animal and cadaver studies conducted to study damage mechanisms. Biofidelic and transparent tissue simulants allow the use of high-speed optical diagnostics during a blast event, making it possible to observe deformations and damage patterns for comparison to observed injuries seen post-mortem in traumatic brain injury victims. Methods Material properties of several tissue simulants were quantified using standard mechanical characterization techniques, that is, shear rheometric, tensile, and compressive testing. Results Polyacrylamide simulants exhibited the best optical and mechanical property matching with the fewest trade-offs in the design of a cranial test object. Polyacrylamide gels yielded densities of ~1.04 g/cc and shear moduli ranging 1.3-14.55 kPa, allowing gray and white matter simulant tuning to a 30-35% difference in shear for biofidelity. Conclusions These materials are intended for use as layered cranial phantoms in a shock tube and open field blasts, with focus on observing phenomena occurring at the interfaces of adjacent tissue simulant types or material-fluid boundaries. Mechanistic findings from these studies may be used to inform the design of protective gear to mitigate blast injuries.
Magnetic Scattering in Dilute Metals

The observance of negative magnetoresistance at low temperatures in heavily doped n-type germanium, exhibiting metallic conductivity, was first reported by Sasaki et al. 1 at the 1960 Prague Semiconductor Conference. Since that time, numerous authors have reported similar behavior in other types of degenerate semiconductors. Toyozawa,2 in 1962, suggested that there was a strong similarity between the behavior of the magnetoresistance of a heavily doped semiconductor at low temperatures and that of dilute paramagnetic metal alloys. It is experimentally known that in order to induce a negative magnetoresistance in these alloys, a localized magnetic moment must be present. Toyozawa suggested that the presence of localized moments in semiconductors could arise from the statistical nature of the distribution of impurity atoms, resulting in localized electron states in the continuum of conduction electron states in the impurity band, the lifetime of electrons in these quasi-localized states being sufficiently long to scatter magnetically the more mobile electrons associated with the impurity band.
Optimal characteristics of agents to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections

The optimal characteristics of agents to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infection must include activity against the major pathogens involved in these infections as well as a low potential for development of bacterial resistance. High urinary levels should be present for an adequate period to eliminate the organisms. Side effects should be minimal with minimal effect on the bacterial flora of the community. Treatment programs of single-dose, three days, or five days can be developed depending upon the agent.
Aluminum species in porewaters of Kejimkujik and Mountain Lakes, Nova Scotia

Sediment porewaters were recovered by the membrane dialysis technique from Kejimkujik Lake and Mountain Lake in Nova Scotia and analyzed for pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total (acid soluble) aluminum, total reactive monomeric aluminum (TRM-Al), organic monomeric aluminum and inorganic monomeric aluminum. The results show that in the colored lake water (Kejimkujik), close to 100% of the TRM-Al fraction is bound to organic matter and that 10 to 60% of the total-Al is in the monomeric form. In the clearwater lake (Mountain), 50 to 65% of TRM-Al fraction is associated with organic matter and less than 4 to 5% of the Total-Al is in the monomeric form. The concentrations of reactive monomeric species in organic-rich porewaters decrease with time of storage due to the precipitation of organo-Al compounds. Model calculations using the porewater profiles for Al suggest that the sediment can be an important source of dissolved Al to the overlying water.
Allometric secular change in the long bones from the 1800s to the present

Allometric secular changes in the six long limb bones for White and Black males from the mid 1800s to the present are examined. Long bone lengths are available from the Terry collection and WWII casualties. We conducted two types of analysis to reveal secular changes. First, allometry scaling coefficients were derived by regressing log bone length onto log stature. These showed that the femur, tibia and fibula were positively allometric with stature, while the humerus, radius and ulna were isometric. The lower limb bones were more positively allometric in the WWII sample than in the Terry sample. Second, secular changes in length of femur and tibia and in the tibia/femur ratio were evaluated, using modern forensic cases in addition to the Terry and WWII samples. This analysis shows that secular increase in lower limb bone length is accompanied by relatively longer tibiae. Secular changes in proportion may render stature formulae based on nineteenth century samples, such as the Terry collection, inappropriate for modern forensic cases. The positive allometry of the lower limb bones argues against using simple femur/stature ratio, which assumes constant proportionality, as an alternative to regression equations.
America's health care, social solidarity, and reform.

As Americans debate how their country's health care system should evolve, foreign systems are frequently adduced as possible models. Since the underlying political idea that guides almost all exportable foreign systems is the notion of social solidarity, there is a need for a broad national engagement over this principle before the U.S. becomes preoccupied with the technical details of a new health care delivery system. The question "why?" must be answered before the question "how?"
Reconstructing intra-annual growth of freshwater mussels using oxygen isotopes

Abstract Intra-annual growth rates from the bivalve mollusk Lampsilis cardium (Unionidae) were reconstructed using measured oxygen isotope (δ18O) profiles together with high-resolution environmental records. Mussels from a single cohort (2007) were grown in two different settings at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Freshwater Mussel Conservation & Research Center (MRC), located in central Ohio, USA. “Outside” specimens were collected from sediment laden cages deployed in the O’Shaughnessy Reservoir. A single “inside” specimen was collected from the raceways in the MRC. Measured δ18Ocarb profiles from these specimens were calibrated with a predicted oxygen isotope envelope (i.e., the daily range of potential δ18Ocarb values) calculated from hourly water temperatures and weekly δ18Owater samples collected in 2010. This exercise suggests the “outside” specimens commenced 2010 shell deposition in late April and ceased in latest October (six month growing season). In contrast, the “inside” growing season lasted only three months (early July and early September). Calculated daily growth rates from both sites were faster early in the year, but highly episodic throughout. Maximum daily growth rates for the “outside” and “inside” specimens were 300 and 436 μm/day, respectively. Analysis of annual growth rates from the entire cohort suggests the “inside” specimens grew slower following transplantation. In subsequent years, however, their growth rates were nearly identical to the “outside” population. Our results suggest that, despite the fact that both populations have similar annual growth rates, they have different intra-annual growth patterns. Thus, caution should be exercised when extrapolating intra-annual growth patterns from cultured specimens to natural populations.
A Comparison of Analytical Methods Used to Partition Age-Period-Cohort Effects

This study addresses the challenges of partitioning the variance attributable to age, period, and cohort when studying differences between individuals and groups over time. We discuss the strengths...
Assessment of Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): A Patient-Driven Survey

Considerable controversy has existed with efforts to assess post-exertional malaise (PEM), which is one of the defining features of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). While a number of self-report questionnaires have been developed to assess this symptom, none have been comprehensive, and a recent federal government report has recommended the development of a new PEM measure. The current study involved a community-based participatory research process in an effort to develop a comprehensive PEM instrument, with critical patient input shaping the item selection and overall design of the tool. A survey was ultimately developed and was subsequently completed by 1534 members of the patient community. The findings of this survey suggest that there are key domains of this symptom, including triggers, symptom onset, and duration, which have often not been comprehensively assessed in a previous PEM instrument. This study indicates that there are unique benefits that can be derived from patients collaborating with researchers in the measurement of key symptoms defining ME and CFS.
Radiomics and deep learning of diffusion-weighted MRI in the diagnosis of breast cancer

The incorporation of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown potential in improving the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis. Since DWI measures possibly complementary biological properties to dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI parameters, DWI computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) can potentially improve the performance of current CADx systems in distinguishing between benign and malignant breast lesions. This study was performed on a database of 397 diffusion-weighted breast MR images (69 benign and 328 malignant). Lesions were automatically segmented using a fuzzy C-means method. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)-based radiomic features were extracted and used to train a classifier. Another classifier was trained on convolutional neural network (CNN)-based features extracted by a pre-trained VGG19 network. The outputs from these two classifiers were fused by averaging the posterior probability of malignancy for each case to construct a fusion classifier. The performance evaluation for the three proposed classifiers was performed with five-fold cross-validation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.68 (se = 0.04) for the ADC-based classifier, 0.74 (se = 0.03) for the CNN-based classifier, and 0.76 (se = 0.03) for the fusion classifier. The fusion classifier performed significantly better than the ADC-based classifier (݌ = 0.013). The CNN-based classifier failed to show statistically significant performance difference from the ADC-based classifier or the fusion classifier. The findings demonstrate promising performance of the proposed classifiers and the potential for DWI CADx as well as for the development of multiparametric CADx that incorporates information from both DWI and DCE-MRI in breast lesion classification.