cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impaired Clock Drawing Test in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Syndrome: Differences from Alzheimer Disease (P6.199)

Objective: To examine differences in clock drawing tests (CDT) in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) or corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). Background: The CDT is commonly used to screen for cognitive impairments among patients with neurologic disease, but there is little published information on CDT performance among patients with PSP and CBS. The CDT is part of both the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), recommended for identifying cognitive impairment in movement disorders patients, and the Alabama Brief Cognitive screener (ABCs), a recently developed MMSE analog. Design/Methods: We retrospectively identified 32 patients from the UAB Memory Disorders Clinic with clinical diagnoses of PSP or CBS who had undergone ABCs testing. Given the significant overlap in their clinical syndromes, including recognized mixed PSP-CBS phenotypes, we grouped these patients as having “tauopathy” for analysis. Compared to AD patients, the mean age was lower in the tauopathy group (69.0 vs. 75.4 years, p Results: RCS scores were significantly lower among the tauopathy group compared to the AD group (4.75 vs 6.5, p Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CDT abnormalities are more severe among the tauopathy patients than in an AD sample matched for overall severity of cognitive impairment. CDT performance provides useful information about differential patterns of cognitive deficits in these patient groups. Study Supported by: The Warren Family Endowed Chair in Neurology at UAB Disclosure: Dr. Geldmacher has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Axovant, BrownGreer, Clearview Partners, Grifols, Pennside Partners. Dr. Geldmacher has received research support from Abbvie, Avanir, Biogen, BMS, Eisai, Janssen, Lilly, Lundbeck. Dr. Natelson Love has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hammond has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pilonieta has received research support from Abbvie, Avanir, Biogen, BMS, Eisai, Janssen, Lilly, Lundbeck.
"Operating in the dark": Nurses' attempts to help patients and families manage the transition from oncology to comfort care.

Aims and objectives To investigate challenges nurses face when providing care for oncology patients transitioning from curative to palliative care and to identify educational and support opportunities for nurses. Background Communicating with oncology patients/families transitioning from curative treatments to care focused on comfort can be problematic for a variety of reasons. Research suggests discrepancies exist between physicians' and patients' perceptions of probable length of life. These disconnects can deepen suffering. Oncology and palliative care nurses are well positioned to facilitate this transition. However, they receive little formal instruction regarding these complex scenarios beyond what occurs through on-the-job training. Methods Twenty-eight nurses working in oncology (n = 14) and palliative care (n = 14) settings participated. The constant comparative method was used to analyse the data. Results Four themes emerged that characterise oncology and palliative care nurses' experiences: (a) coping with interprofessional communication errors during the transition, (b) responding to patient/family reactions to miscommunication about the goals of care, (c) navigating emotional connection to patients, and (d) adapting to sociocultural factors that influence information exchange. Conclusions This study supports previous research regarding challenges related to patient reactions, family relationships and emotional burden during end-of-life care. However, it adds to the literature by a providing a more in-depth explication of interprofessional and patient-physician communication barriers that negatively impact care. Relevance to clinical practice Misunderstandings between patients, physicians and nurses have the potential to distress complicate nurses' efforts to support patients and families. Nurses reported a problematic power dynamic that impedes their ability to facilitate communication between patient and physician or to offer insights that could enhance patient care. Medical education and continuing education initiatives are needed to build understanding across professional roles and specialties and to improve comfort discussing worsening prognosis and end-of-life issues.
Programming a Microprocessor

The goal of this chapter is to investigate two commercial microprocessors and to learn to program them. There are many microprocessors on the market, and studying just two of them may seem limiting, but this is not the case. The microprocessors selected are the Motorola 6800 and the Intel 8080/8085 families, which are widely used in their own right. In addition, the Rockwell 6502 has many similarities to the Motorola 6800 and the Zilog Z-80 is related to the Intel 8080/8085.
Case Reports on the Web Redux: Confidentiality Still in Jeopardy

We reported at AMIA 1999 on the apparent lack of privacy protection for the subjects of case reports at 32 websites. It has been clear for some time that print journal editors and Institutional Review Boards require informed consent from patients or their surrogates if they can be potentially identified in publications.1–3 We found in 1999 that this level of confidentiality protection was not being applied to case reports on the Internet.4 This report is a follow up evaluation of those and 26 other websites with case reports to see if confidentiality protection practices have improved.
Stalk borer phenology, damage syndrome, and yield loss potential in field corn

Adult phenology, relative abundance, and reproductive status of feral moths of the stalk borer, Papaipema nebris (Guenee), were investigated in Iowa, from 1980 to 1983, using collections from blacklight traps. Males constituted 89,2% of trap collections versus 10.8% female moths. In all four years, the first moth was collected between 10 and 21 August and 50% flight occurred between 8 and 14 September. Multiple matings by female moths were common, with the mean number of spcrmatophores being 2.0, but total numbers ranging from 0 to 7 spermatophores per female. The mean number of spermatophores per female increased throughout the season to 3.0, suggesting that individual female moths are long lived. Although the dates of flights in this study agreed with Illinois dates, the thermal-unit model proposed in previous literature failed to predict satisfactorily adult phenology in Iowa, suggesting that factors other than COO accumulations influence adult stalk borer emergence and subsequent flights.
Testicular involution following optic enucleation. An ultrastructural and cytochemical study.

The testes of adult male Syrian hamsters underwent involution within six weeks after optic enucleation. The diameter of the seminiferous tubules was 39% less than controls. Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, and primary spermatocytes were still present, but all steps of spermatids were completely absent from the involuted testes. Lipid droplets filled the Sertoli cell cytoplasm and often encroached upon the nucleus. Sertoli cells had sparse mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, but Golgi cisternae were abundant. Typical SertoliSertoli junctions attached contiguous Sertoli cells. With lanthanum tracers it was demonstrated that these junctions were impenetrable; therefore, the bloodtestis barrier was deemed intact. Irregularly shaped protrusions often arose from the peritubular tissue and extended inward toward the seminiferous epithelium, often displacing the cytoplasm of the Sertoli cells and spermatogonia. The core of these protrusions consisted of irregular extensions of myoid cell cytoplasm surrounded by the myoid cells' basal lamina. External to the myoid cell basal lamina were bundles of collagen filaments with the basal lamina of the seminiferous epithelium forming the outermost layer of these protrusions. The apices of the Sertoli cells gave rise to numerous leaf-like processes that extended into and obliterated the lumen of the tubules. The Sertoli cell basal cytoplasm often contained phagocytized degenerating germ cells that appeared to give rise to the lipid droplets that filled the Sertoli cell cytoplasm. Acid phosphatase rich lysosome-like organelles were seen fusing with the degenerating germ cells and lipid droplets. The degenerating germ cells also were shown to contain acid phosphatase activity.
Factors affecting in-transit shrink and liver abscesses in fed steers.

Live weight loss (shrink) and liver conditions (abscesses) were determined on 3,570 crossbred steers of predominantly British breeding over a 5-yr period. Starting in November 1979, steers were placed on feed at bimonthly intervals and provided one of three housing treatments: no shelter, access to overhead shelter or confinement. All steers were implanted with Synovex during the first 3 yr and Compudose the last 2 yr and fed a diet consisting of high-moisture corn grain, which provided 85% of the energy, and corn silage, along with a protein, vitamin and mineral supplement. Cattle were processed into beef after a feeding period of approximately 160 d. Year affected shrink (P less than .001), and month on feed and housing type tended to alter shrink. Cattle marketed during summer and fall and those outside without overhead shelter tended to shrink more. Year, month on feed and housing type affected liver condition (P less than .01). Cattle started on feed in November and January and cattle housed in confinement or outside without overhead shelter had higher incidences of liver abscesses and slower average daily gains (P less than .01). Daily gains for steers with normal and abnormal livers were not different (P greater than .19) for any month started on feed or housing treatment. These results indicate that under the conditions of this study a 2 or 3% weight loss should be expected during the marketing of finished steers and a 16% incidence of liver abscesses should be anticipated, with some modification of the latter due to time of year and housing. The presence of liver abscesses at the time of processing steers into beef did not reduce feedlot performance.
Deep exploration networks for rapid engineering of functional DNA sequences

Engineering gene sequences with defined functional properties is a major goal of synthetic biology. Deep neural network models, together with gradient ascent-style optimization, show promise for sequence generation. The generated sequences can however get stuck in local minima, have low diversity and their fitness depends heavily on initialization. Here, we develop deep exploration networks (DENs), a type of generative model tailor-made for searching a sequence space to minimize the cost of a neural network fitness predictor. By making the network compete with itself to control sequence diversity during training, we obtain generators capable of sampling hundreds of thousands of high-fitness sequences. We demonstrate the power of DENs in the context of engineering RNA isoforms, including polyadenylation and cell type-specific differential splicing. Using DENs, we engineered polyadenylation signals with more than 10-fold higher selection odds than the best gradient ascent-generated patterns and identified splice regulatory elements predicted to result in highly differential splicing between cell lines.
Development of an Art of Oncology Curriculum to Mitigate Burnout and Foster Solidarity Among Hematology/Oncology Fellows

PURPOSE:Oncologists and fellows in hematology/oncology (HO) training programs report high levels of burnout. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires accredited programs to...
Cochlear Implantation in Patients With Menière's Disease: Does Disease Activity Affect the Outcome?

OBJECTIVE Meniere's disease (MD) is characterized by episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, and sensorineural hearing loss. In the setting of bilateral deafness due to MD alone or contralateral pathology, cochlear implantation (CI) improves hearing. Active MD is characterized by fluctuating auditory symptoms and vertigo; whereas remittance of vertiginous symptoms and severe, permanent sensorineural hearing loss characterizes the inactive disease state. This study evaluates outcomes for MD patients compared with the general CI population and assesses if disease activity affects implant outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Twenty-four patients with MD that received CI (7 active, 16 inactive, and 1 Probable Meniere's), and 24 age-matched controls. INTERVENTIONS Cochlear implantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Word Recognition Score, Sentence Recognition Score (SRS), and Speech Reception Threshold. RESULTS Best-aided preoperative and postoperative audiometric data were compared per ear between MD patients and controls and stratified by disease status using descriptive statistics with mixed-effects modeling. Patients with MD derived significantly more benefit from CI than controls when comparing differences between preoperative and postoperative levels for Word Recognition Score (12.2%, p = 0.0236), SRS (12.8%, p = 0.0375), and Speech Reception Threshold (-14.4 dB, p = 0.0188). Active disease status does not negatively impact CI outcomes and patients with active MD may benefit from greater gains in SRS (23.5%, p = 0.0107). CONCLUSIONS CI provides greater gains in functional hearing for patients with MD compared with age-matched controls. Patients with active MD seem to perform better with respect to SRS following CI than patients with inactive status.
MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging for touch chemistry biometric analysis: Establishment of exposure to nitroaromatic explosives through chemical imaging of latent fingermarks

Abstract Fingerprint ridge patterns continue to be tremendously important in forensic science because of their power to identify individuals. However, the current emphasis on the patterns fails to take advantage of additional chemical information they contain that may have a bearing on an investigation. One way this information can be useful is through correlating the fingerprint pattern with the presence of compounds that suggest exposure to compounds of interest, such as energetic materials that can be used to create explosive devices. We report here how interrogation of fingermarks by MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) can be used to expose the presence of the explosive compounds trinitrotoluene (TNT), tetryl and picric acid, while yielding the fingerprint pattern that is traditionally collected in crime scene investigation. Ion images derived from diagnostic [M−H]− ions at nominal m/z 226 and 228 for TNT and picric acid respectively, and the [M-NO2-H]− ion at m/z 241 for tetryl were generated and revealed the fingerprint pattern. Direct analysis in real-time high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) analysis of fingerprints was found to be useful in enabling rapid detection of diagnostic ions, so that their presence could inform whether subsequent MALDI-MSI experiments should be performed. The approach illustrates how DART-HRMS and MALDI-MSI in tandem can be employed in touch chemistry biometrics for revealing a direct connection between an individual and materials of forensic interest to which they have been exposed, such as explosives.
Colourism and African-American wealth: Evidence from the nineteenth-century south

Black is not always black. Subtle distinctions in skin tone translate into significant differences in outcomes. Data on more than 15,000 households interviewed during the 1860 US federal census exhibit sharp differences in wealth holdings between white, mulatto, and black households in the urban South. We document these differences, investigate relationships between wealth and recorded household characteristics, and decompose the wealth gaps to examine the returns to racial characteristics. The analysis reveals a distinct racial hierarchy. Black wealth was only 20% of white wealth, but mulattoes held nearly 50% of whites’ wealth. This advantage is consistent with colourism, the favouritism shown to those of lighter complexion.
Kinematic Optimization of an Underactuated Anthropomorphic Prosthetic Hand

The human hand serves as an inspiration for robotic grippers. However, the dimensions of the human hand evolved under a different set of constraints and requirements than that of robots today. This paper discusses a method of kinematically optimizing the design of an anthropomorphic robotic hand. We focus on maximizing the workspace intersection of the thumb and the other fingers as well as maximizing the size of the largest graspable object. We perform this optimization and use the resulting dimensions to construct a flexible, underactuated 3D printed prototype. We verify the results of the optimization through experimentation, demonstrating that the optimized hand is capable of grasping objects ranging from less than 1 mm to 12.8 cm in diameter with a high degree of reliability. The hand is lightweight and inexpensive, weighing 333 g and costing less than 175 USD, and strong enough to lift over 1.1 lb (500 g). We demonstrate that the optimized hand outperforms an open-source 3D printed anthropomorphic hand on multiple tasks. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of our hand by employing a classification-based user intent decision system which predicts the grasp type using real-time electromyographic (EMG) activity patterns.
Alaska’s Corporate Social Responsibility: The Economics of the Corruption Case of VECO

During the early 2000s, Alaska tried to develop its natural gas industry just as natural gas prices in the US market were high, highlighting an interesting case of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In order to develop an Alaskan natural gas industry, then, a two thousand mile, multi-billion dollar pipeline would be needed, and such a pipeline would require a tax contract between the state of Alaska and the Alaskan North Slope oil producers, which would create tough negotiations and a strenuous relationship between Alaska and the international oil companies (IOCs). Usually, governments choose petroleum taxes, regulations, and government support within the petroleum industry based on maximizing social welfare, but not based on maximizing corporate profits. The corporations though needed a certain level of profits in order to be able to invest in a new petroleum development. Therefore, there is a natural incentive for corporations to try to change government policy in order to reduce their risk and assure profitability. However, there is one other factor to consider when trying to get such a gigantic pipeline built and a new natural gas industry started, which are the risks involved. Since investors are taking huge risks to build natural gas infrastructure, then they need favorable taxes to get the job done or they cannot make the investment pay off, and sometimes, they use corrupt means to get a good deal, in which case their Corporate Social Responsibility can be lost. Still, it is not always possible to know the absolute best tax rates or the perfect government terms and conditions that will maximize social value. Therefore, if social welfare includes not just the best terms possible of a tax contract but also whether a project is completed or not, then even if taxes are low, the state could still receive jobs and maximize social welfare compared to not having a new industry at all. Thus, the Alaska VECO corruption case analysis also shows an intricate economic calculation of the expected costs and benefits of the project, after the fact, of how things could have turned out.
The Need for Verbal Robot Explanations and How People Would Like a Robot to Explain Itself

Although non-verbal cues such as arm movement and eye gaze can convey robot intention, they alone may not provide enough information for a human to fully understand a robot’s behavior. To better understand how to convey robot intention, we conducted an experiment (N = 366) investigating the need for robots to explain, and the content and properties of a desired explanation such as timing, engagement importance, similarity to human explanations, and summarization. Participants watched a video where the robot was commanded to hand an almost-reachable cup and one of six reactions intended to show the unreachability : doing nothing (No Cue), turning its head to the cup (Look), or turning its head to the cup with the addition of repeated arm movement pointed towards the cup (Look & Point), and each of these with or without a Headshake. The results indicated that participants agreed robot behavior should be explained across all conditions, in situ, in a similar manner as what human explain, and provide concise summaries and respond to only a few follow-up questions by participants. Additionally, we replicated the study again with N = 366 participants after a 15-month span and all major conclusions still held.
Complexity of childhood sexual abuse: predictors of current post-traumatic stress disorder, mood disorders, substance use, and sexual risk behavior among adult men who have sex with men.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the group most at risk for HIV and represent the majority of new infections in the United States. Rates of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) among MSM have been estimated as high as 46 %. CSA is associated with increased risk of HIV and greater likelihood of HIV sexual risk behavior. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between CSA complexity indicators and mental health, substance use, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV sexual risk among MSM. MSM with CSA histories (n = 162) who were screened for an HIV prevention efficacy trial completed comprehensive psychosocial assessments. Five indicators of complex CSA experiences were created: CSA by family member, CSA with penetration, CSA with physical injury, CSA with intense fear, and first CSA in adolescence. Adjusted regression models were used to identify relationships between CSA complexity and outcomes. Participants reporting CSA by family member were at 2.6 odds of current alcohol use disorder (OR 2.64: CI 1.24-5.63), two times higher odds of substance use disorder (OR 2.1: CI 1.02-2.36), and 2.7 times higher odds of reporting an STI in the past year (OR 2.7: CI 1.04-7.1). CSA with penetration was associated with increased likelihood of current PTSD (OR 3.17: CI 1.56-6.43), recent HIV sexual risk behavior (OR 2.7: CI 1.16-6.36), and a greater number of casual sexual partners (p = 0.02). Both CSA with Physical Injury (OR 4.05: CI 1.9-8.7) and CSA with Intense Fear (OR 5.16: CI 2.5-10.7) were related to increased odds for current PTSD. First CSA in adolescence was related to increased odds of major depressive disorder. These findings suggest that CSA, with one or more complexities, creates patterns of vulnerabilities for MSM, including post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, and sexual risk taking, and suggests the need for detailed assessment of CSA and the development of integrated HIV prevention programs that address mental health and substance use comorbidities. Language: en
Legal Care as Part of Health Care: The Benefits of Medical-Legal Partnership

Many of the social determinants of health are rooted in legal problems. Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) have the potential to positively change clinical systems. This change can be accomplished by integrating legal staff into health care clinics to educate staff and residents on social determinants of health and their legal origins. When the MLP team works directly with patients to identify and address legal needs that improve health outcomes, and incorporate legal insights and solutions into health care practice where the patient population is overwhelmingly impacted by social conditions, outcomes are beneficial to children and families.
Impacts of increasing anthropogenic soluble iron and nitrogen deposition on ocean biogeochemistry

[1] We present results from transient sensitivity studies with the Biogeochemical Elemental Cycling (BEC) ocean model to increasing anthropogenic atmospheric inorganic nitrogen (N) and soluble iron (Fe) deposition over the industrial era. Elevated N deposition results from fossil fuel combustion and agriculture, and elevated soluble Fe deposition results from increased atmospheric processing in the presence of anthropogenic pollutants and soluble Fe from combustion sources. Simulations with increasing Fe and increasing Fe and N inputs raised simulated marine nitrogen fixation, with the majority of the increase in the subtropical North and South Pacific, and raised primary production and export in the high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions. Increasing N inputs alone elevated small phytoplankton and diatom production, resulting in increased phosphorus (P) and Fe limitation for diazotrophs, hence reducing nitrogen fixation (6%). Globally, the simulated primary production, sinking particulate organic carbon (POC) export. and atmospheric CO2 uptake were highest under combined increase in Fe and N inputs compared to preindustrial control. Our results suggest that increasing combustion iron sources and aerosol Fe solubility along with atmospheric anthropogenic nitrogen deposition are perturbing marine biogeochemical cycling and could partially explain the observed trend toward increased P limitation at station ALOHA in the subtropical North Pacific. Excess inorganic nitrogen ([NO3 ] + [NH4 ] 16[PO4 ]) distributions may offer useful insights for understanding changing ocean circulation and biogeochemistry.
A perturbation theorem for evolution equations and some applications

The following well-known perturbation theorem is of fundamental importance in semigroup theory: Let $A$ be $m$-dissipative (i.e., $A$ generates a $(C_{0})$ contraction semigroup). If $P_{1}$ is dissipative and $A$ bounded with relative $A$ bound less than one, and if $P_{2}$ is bounded, then $A+P_{1}+P_{2}$generates a $(C_{0})$ semigroup. This result is generalized to allow $A,P_{1},P_{2}$. all to depend on a real parameter $t$. Thus in many cases, establishing the well-posedness of the Cauchy problem for $$u'(t) = (A(t) + P_{1} (t) + P_{2} (t))u (t)\,\,\,\,\,\,({}^{'}=d/dt})$$ is reduced to proving the well-posedness of the Cauehy problem for $u'(t)=A(t)u(t)$. Applications are given to temporally inhomogeneous scattering, theory and to second order evolution equations of the form $$u''(t) + B(t)u'(t) + C(t)u(t) = 0;$$; here both $B(t)$ and $C(t)$ can be unbounded. Some Concrete examples are given, including mixed problems for $$u_{tt} + \alpha u_{xx} + \beta u_{x} + \gamma u_{tx} + \delta u_{t} + \varepsilon u + \phi$$ with time dependent boundary conditions; here all the coefficients are smooth functions on $$\left\{{(t,x): - \infty < t < \infty ,\,0 \leqslant x \leqslant 1} \right\}$$, $\alpha$ is positive and $\gamma$ is sufficiently small.
Chapter 8 - Numerical Analysis of Dynamical Systems*

This chapter discusses the numerical analysis of dynamical systems. There is a strong interplay between dynamical systems theory and computational analysis of dynamical systems. The theory provides a framework for interpreting numerical observations and foundations for algorithms. Geometric perspectives have been introduced relatively recently to the numerical analysis of ordinary differential equations. The tension between geometric and more traditional analysis of numerical integration algorithms can be caricatured as the interchange between two limits. Dynamical systems theory concentrates on questions about long time behavior of the solution trajectories, often investigating intricate geometry in structures formed by the trajectories. One-step methods only use information from the last computed step while multi-step methods use information from several previously computed steps in determining the next step of the integrator. Multi-step methods have the advantage over one-step methods that higher-order accuracy can be achieved with a single function evaluation at each time step The most common type of adaptation in numerical integrators is the use of prediction-correction to adjust step size. Variable time step algorithms incorporate criteria for assessing the accuracy of each computed time step. With Runge–Kutta methods, accuracy is commonly assessed by formulating methods of different orders that share intermediate time steps.
The Relation between Internet Use and Financial Planner Use for Savings and Investment Decisions

In an analysis of a combination of the 1998 to 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances datasets, the use of the Internet for savings and investment decisions grew much more rapidly than the use of financial planners for those decisions. A multivariate analysis of the use of financial planners showed that all other things being equal, use of the internet for savings and investment decisions had a negative effect on the likelihood of using a financial planner for savings and investment decisions. It is possible that increases in the client base for financial planners is limited by the growth of savings and investment resources on the Internet, although financial planners could adopt measures proposed for other professional services to deal with the competition in information resources.
Estimating the magnitude of colorectal cancers prevented during the era of screening: 1976 to 2009

BACKGROUND Ideally, screening detects cancer at a more curable stage and, as a result, decreases the rate of subsequent diagnosis at a late stage. Although it is suggested that some cancer screening tests have led to substantial increases in early-stage incidence with only marginal reductions in late-stage incidence (eg mammography), the association between temporal trends in colorectal cancer screening and its cumulative impact on colorectal cancer incidence is unknown. METHODS Colorectal cancer incidence data spanning over 3 decades (1976-2009) were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Data on screening use spanning the period from 1986 to 2010 were collected from the National Cancer Institute Cancer Trends Progress Report, and trends in the incidence of early-stage (in situ, local) and late-stage (regional, distant) colorectal cancer were examined among adults aged ≥50 years. RESULTS From 1987 to 2010—the years for which screening data were available—the percentage of adults aged ≥50 years who underwent screening rose from 34.8% to 66.1% (which included increases in colonoscopy). During that time, the incidence of late-stage colorectal cancer decreased from 118 to 74 cases per 100,000 population (P < .001). The incidence of early-stage colorectal cancer also decreased, from 77 to 67 cases per 100,000 population (P < .001). After adjusting for underlying trends in cancer incidence, colorectal screening was associated with a reduction of approximately 550,000 cases of colorectal cancer over the past 3 decades in the United States. CONCLUSIONS There has been a significant decline in the incidence of colorectal cancer in the United States, particularly for late-stage disease, during a time of increasing rates of screening. Cancer 2014;120:2893–2901. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Automated Image Rectification in Video-Endoscopy

Video-Endoscopy has proven to be significantly less invasive to the patient. However, it also creates a more complex and difficult operating environment that requires the surgeon to operate through a video interface. Visual feedback control and image interpretation in this operating environment can be troublesome. Automated image analysis has tremendous potential in improving the surgeon's visual feedback, resulting in better patient safety, reduced operation time, and savings in health care. In this paper, we present our design of an image rectification algorithm for maintaining the head-up display in video-endoscopy and report some preliminary results.
User experience quality: a conceptual framework for goal setting and measurement

Although the term 'user experience' has become ubiquitous, variations in its conceptualization can make design objectives unclear. This paper proposes a simple framework for conceptualizing the components of user experience in order to communicate with UX stakeholders and advance goal setting and measurement in applied settings. A deeper understanding of the components of experience provide a greater ability to set strategic direction for the user experience, guide design goals, and assess user experience outcomes. In educating stakeholders on a more complete view of user experience, UCD practitioners have the opportunity to play a key role in planning the level of user experience quality for the product user experience and influencing where user experience studies will have the most impact on products.
Phosphatidylserine decarboxylases: pyruvoyl-dependent enzymes from bacteria to mammals.

Publisher Summary Phosphatidylserine decarboxylases have been identified both genetically and biochemically in Escherichia coli (E. coli), Saccharomyces, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and humans. In yeast phosphatidylserine and possibly in all eukaryotic cells there are two nonhomologous decarboxylases. In all cases these enzymes are integral membrane proteins requiring the use of detergents for solubilization, purification, and assay. The gene encoding each respective decarboxylase has been isolated and sequenced, revealing the sequence of each enzyme. The E. coli enzyme has been overproduced using a plasmid-borne copy of its gene and purified to homogeneity; the enzyme from rat liver mitochondria has been partially purified. The α-amino-acid decarboxylases including mammalian and some bacterial histidine decarboxylases utilize pyridoxal 5'-phosphate as their prosthetic group and in some cases also require pyrroloquinolinequinone. This chapter reviews E. coli phosphatidylserine decarboxylase and the histidine decarboxylase of Lactobacillus 30a. In other well-characterized enzymes of this class, the pyruvoyl residue is covalently bound to the amino terminus of one of the two nonidentical subunits of the E. coli phosphatidylserine decarboxylase. The enzyme is synthesized as a single subunit proenzyme form, which undergoes posttranslational processing in which an internal serine residue becomes the covalently bound prosthetic group of one of the two resulting subunits.
Magneto-Optical Measurements of a Cascade of Transitions in Superconducting La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 Single Crystals

Recent experiments on the original cuprate high temperature superconductor, La{sub 2-x}Ba{sub x}CuO{sub 4}, revealed a remarkable sequence of phase transitions. Here we investigate such crystals with polar Kerr effect which is sensitive to time-reversal-symmetry breaking. Concurrent birefringence measurements accurately locate the structural phase transitions from high-temperature tetragonal to low temperature orthorhombic, and then to lower temperature tetragonal, at which temperature a strong Kerr signal onsets. Hysteretic behavior of the Kerr signal suggests that time-reversal symmetry is already broken well above room temperature, an effect that was previously observed in high quality YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+x} crystals.
Nuclear localization of the PEP protein tyrosine phosphatase.

Abstract PEP is an intracellular protein tyrosine phosphatase expressed primarily by cells of hematopoietic origin that can be divided structurally into a catalytic domain and a large carboxy-terminal domain. The carboxy-terminal domain is enriched in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine residues (PEST sequences) and contains a nonperfect tandem repeat sequence enriched in proline residues and a carboxy terminus enriched in basic amino acids. Here we show that PEP is diffusely expressed in lymphoid tissues, consistent with expression by many different cell types. Analysis of the PEP protein identifies a nuclear localization sequence within the extreme carboxy terminus. Transfer of 18 amino acids from the carboxy terminus of PEP to beta-galactosidase conferred nuclear localization, indicating that this sequence was sufficient for nuclear localization. Proteins enriched in PEST sequences are often rapidly degraded. However, pulse-chase analysis indicates that PEP has a half-life of greater than 5 h.
The resilience of the past: government and opposition in Kenya

The article discusses government and opposition in Kenya over the last 100 years. Major democratic changes have occurred, but legacies from the colonial period and Kenya's one-party state endure. Pushback efforts to perpetuate the status quo continue. Subverting formal legal changes, using violence, and polarizing ethnicity are among the means used to consolidate the past. The focus is on the interplay between stasis and change, using comparative political economy theories and similar examples from other times and places. The analysis highlights the resilience of the past and historic barriers to change, thereby raising broader questions and issues that are not well understood.
Thiamine Deficiency Decreases Steady-State Transketolase and Pyruvate Dehydrogenase but not α-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase mRNA Levels in Three Human Cell Types

Reductions in the levels and activities of enzymes that utilize thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) as a cofactor are thought to be responsible for the tissue damage suffered during thiamine deficiency. Although loss of cofactor can account in part for loss of enzyme activity, thiamine and its phosphorylated derivatives may also regulate the expression of the genes encoding these proteins. To examine this possibility, steady-state mRNA levels for three ThDP-dependent enzymes were measured in human fibroblasts, lymphoblasts and neuroblastoma cells cultured under conditions of thiamine sufficiency and deficiency. In all three cell types, the mRNA levels of transketolase and the E1beta subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex were lower in thiamine-deficient cultures. In contrast, mRNA levels for a ThDP-binding subunit of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, the E1 subunit did not differ. These results indicate that thiamine or a thiamine metabolite regulates the expression in humans of some, but not all, genes encoding ThDP-utilizing enzymes.
SHOT: Developing a database for police shooting incidents in the United States

Gun violence and in particular police shootings have become prominent in the news media in the United. States. However, there is currently no national database of police incidents. This paper describes the first phase of a project to develop a database to collect, edit, query and analyze police shootings. The SHOT Project (Statistics Help Officer Tactics), an academic collaboration between Criminal Justice and Information Technology departments, has developed a protocol for collecting data from open sources using content analysis. The database will enable the research community and law enforcement the ability to study the dynamics of shooting incidents, the ability to analyze this information and be better prepared to understand trends and patterns. The second phase of the project will be GIS Visualization and an Internet-based enterprise system for update, query and analysis.
Infectivity of nematodes, Neoaplectana species, for the larvae of the weevil Hylobius pales, after rearing in species isolation☆

Abstract Three nematode strains ( Neoaplectana glaseri , DD-136 Neoaplectana carpocapsae , and Czech Neoaplectana carpocapsae ) that are natural parasites of insects but that have been laboratory-reared many generations in species isolation (i.e., axenically) were tested for infectivity. The trial hosts were larval weevils ( Hylobius pales ) raised from eggs in species isolation (i.e., without symbiotes); 34% became infected with nematodes. Specifically, 35% of weevils exposed to N. glaseri , 31% of weevils exposed to DD-136 N. carpocapsae , and 69% of weevils exposed to Czech N. carpocapsae were parasitized. Since all larval worm stages and reproducing adults were found in some weevils, the “clean” insects were judged to be suitable and sufficient hosts for these nematodes. A pathogenic potential of clean nematode infections was suggested but not proved because of the generally short survival of weevils in species isolation cultures.
Lessons Learned in Confined Space Training

Abstract A concern presently exists in industry regarding weak and inconsistent implementation of confined space programs which do not meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements. To assist those personnel who are required to develop, implement, and evaluate a confined space program to achieve compliance with the regulation, an 8-hour Confined Space Program Management training session was held to present the essentials of the confined space law. Following the session, the 47 participants, ranging from industrial representatives to State of Iowa personnel, were surveyed regarding their perceptions about the importance of the OSHA Permit Required Confined Spaces regulation, as well as other perceptions about implementation of that law. The objective was to determine whether these future program managers with diverse job responsibilities had different perceptions about the importance of the law and the critical items in regard to implementing an acceptable program. Significant differences...
Structure of the oligomerization and L-arginine binding domain of the arginine repressor of Escherichia coli.

Abstract The structure of the oligomerization and L -arginine binding domain of the Escherichia coli arginine repressor (ArgR) has been determined using X-ray diffraction methods at 2.2 A resolution with bound arginine and at 2.8 A in the unliganded form. The oligomeric core is a 3-fold rotationally symmetric hexamer formed from six identical subunits corresponding to the 77 C-terminal residues (80 to 156) of ArgR. Each subunit has an α/β fold containing a four-stranded antiparallel β-sheet and two antiparallel α-helices. The hexamer is formed from two trimers, each with tightly packed hydrophobic cores. In the absence of arginine, the trimers stack back-to-back through a dyad-symmetric, sparsely packed hydrophobic interface. Six molecules of arginine bind at the trimer – trimer interface, each making ten hydrogen bonds to the protein including a direct ion pair that crosslinks the two protein trimers. Solution experiments with wild-type ArgR and oligomerization domain indicate that the hexameric form is greatly stabilized upon arginine binding. The crystal structures and solution experiments together suggest possible mechanisms of how arginine activates ArgR to bind to its DNA targets and provides a stereochemical basis for interpreting the results of mutagenesis and biochemical experiments with ArgR.
Personality Disorders in Elderly Inpatients With Major Depression

We studied 154 patients with major depression, with and without personality disorder (PD), consecutively admitted to a geriatric unit and compared their characteristics and responses to acute inpatient treatment. Thirty-seven patients (24%) met DSM-III-R criteria for PD. PD not otherwise specified and dependent PD were the most frequent PD diagnoses, whereas dramatic cluster PDs were rare. Patients with PD were significantly more likely to have had 1) recurrent depression, 2) an earlier age at first episode, and 3) a concurrent anxiety disorder. There was a higher proportion of patients with PD to have 1) never married, 2) separated or divorced, or 3) attempted suicide. During inpatient stays of similar lengths, both groups received similar treatment and improved to a similar and significant extent.
A Bimetallic System for the Catalytic Hydroxylation of Remote Primary C−H Bonds in Functionalized Organics Using Dioxygen

In a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and water, the combination of metallic palladium and copper chloride catalyzes the hydroxylation of remote primary C−H bonds of a variety of acids, alcohols, and aliphatic halides, in the presence of carbon monoxide and dioxygen. Experiments suggest that the principal role of metallic palladium is to generate hydrogen peroxide in situ and that the species responsible for the remote hydroxylation of the substrate by hydrogen peroxide is copper chloride. The unusual preference for the catalytic hydroxylation of primary C−H bonds was also found in an experiment involving competition between ethane and either cumene or p-isopropylbenzoic acid: even though the solution concentration of ethane was significantly lower than the competing substrate, the vast majority of the oxidation product (ethanol) was derived from ethane. In the reactions studied, acetic acid and formic acid were formed through C−C cleavage steps. An examination of the site of C−C cleavage in propionic aci...
Enhanced lateral hypothalamic reward sensitivity following septal lesions in the rat

Abstract Electrolytic lesions of the septal area significantly reduce the current threshold of lateral hypothalamic reward. Unlike the perseverative tendencies produced by septal lesions, which wane with post-operative practice, the heightened sensitivity to lateral hypothalamic stimulation persists without attenuation over a post-lesion period of nearly a month. It is concluded that the septal area, much like the ventromedial hypothalamus, exerts an inhibitory influence over lateral hypothalamic incentive processes.
Search for composite models of quarks and leptons with preons having strong and electroweak quantum numbers

The impossibility of composite models of two or more generations of quarks and leptons is shown using preons with strong SU/sub C/(3) quantum numbers and either the electroweak SU/sub L/(2) x U(1) or SU/sub L/(2) x SU/sub R/(2) x U/sub B/-L(1) quantum numbers. The preon models considered are the simplest: FFF and FB (F is fermion and B is boson). The constraints imposed on the models are the absence of exotics and anomalies in the strong and electroweak sectors.
Physiological strategies for emmetropia.

Abstract PURPOSE: To identify relationships among age-independent ocular biometric variables which contribute to ocular refraction in adult human eyes, and to identify differences in those relationships between emmetropes and ametropes. METHODS: Manifest refraction (DRS methodology), corneal refractive power (keratometry), and axial anterior segment (anterior cornea to posterior lens), vitreous cavity (posterior lens to anterior sclera) and total globe (anterior cornea to anterior sclera) length (A-scan ultrasonography) were determined in 185 unaccommodated right eyes of adult humans aged 18 to 70 years. There were 136 emmetropes with absolute refractive error < or = 2.0 diopter, and 49 ametropes (47 myopes, 2 hyperopes) with absolute refractive error of 2.25-11.0 diopters. RESULTS: Refraction decreased significantly with increasing globe and vitreous cavity length in emmetropes and ametropes. Anterior segment length was also significantly negatively correlated with refraction in emmetropes, but not in ametropes. Corneal refractive power was not correlated with refraction in either group, but decreased significantly with increasing globe length in both, more strongly in emmetropes. Globe and vitreous cavity length were significantly positively correlated in both groups, more strongly in ametropes. Anterior segment length increased significantly with increasing globe length in emmetropes but not in ametropes. Anterior segment length decreased significantly with increasing vitreous cavity length in ametropes but not in emmetropes. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate an "inflatable anterior segment" as well as the classic "inflatable globe" mechanism of emmetropization. This newly described anterior segment mechanism involving increased separation between the cornea and the lens with increasing globe size appears to be absent in adult human myopia.
Elliptical Vacuum Chamber Stress and Deflections

Equations are derived for the bending moments and stresses at all points and for deflections at the major and minor axes in a uniform-wall tubular chamber of elliptical cross section subjected to uniform pressure loading. Graphs are included to facilitate computations.