cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential alternative splicing patterns with differential expression to computationally extract plant molecular pathways

Alternative splicing (AS) produces multiple messenger RNAs by combining different regions of the precursor transcript to produce diversity in gene products. Under stress conditions, many genes produce transcripts that are not otherwise produced during normal conditions. Plant growth and development are extensively affected by environmental stresses. In this study, we combine Differentially Alternatively Spliced Genes (DASGs) with Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) to discover important metabolic networks in the presence of environmental stress. Using publicly available RNA-Seq datasets from Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) subjected to heat stress conditions, we extracted several molecular pathways associated with temperature stress-response using genes that are either differentially alternatively spliced or differentially expressed. Most DASGs are linked with biological processes such as splicing, circadian rhythm, and metabolic processes. In contrast, most DEGs are linked with cell cycle and division, and transport. These differences in the biological processes highlight the importance of integrating differential splicing information along with differential expression to extract important metabolic pathways. Our analysis suggests that the exon/intron usage of the transcripts involved in key metabolic pathways significantly changes during heat stress conditions.
Social Media as a Catalyst for Policy Action and Social Change for Health and Well-Being: Viewpoint.

This viewpoint paper argues that policy interventions can benefit from the continued use of social media analytics, which can serve as an important complement to traditional social science data collection and analysis. Efforts to improve well-being should provide an opportunity to explore these areas more deeply, and encourage the efforts of those conducting national and local data collection on health to incorporate more of these emerging data sources. Social media remains a relatively untapped source of information to catalyze policy action and social change. However, the diversity of social media platforms and available analysis techniques provides multiple ways to offer insight for policy making and decision making. For instance, social media content can provide timely information about the impact of policy interventions. Social media location information can inform where to deploy resources or disseminate public messaging. Network analysis of social media connections can reveal underserved populations who may be disconnected from public services. Machine learning can help recognize important patterns for disease surveillance or to model population sentiment. To fully realize these potential policy uses, limitations to social media data will need to be overcome, including data reliability and validity, and potential privacy risks. Traditional data collection may not fully capture the upstream factors and systemic relationships that influence health and well-being. Policy actions and social change efforts, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s effort to advance a culture of health, which are intended to drive change in a network of upstream health drivers, will need to incorporate a broad range of behavioral information, such as health attitudes or physical activity levels. Applying innovative techniques to emerging data has the potential to extract insight from unstructured data or fuse disparate sources of data, such as linking health attitudes that are expressed to health behaviors or broader health and well-being outcomes. [J Med Internet Res 2018;20(3):e94]
Rotator cuff tear following long-standing axillary neuropathy in a female motocross racer

A ‘terrible triad’ of anterior shoulder dislocation, axillary nerve damage and rotator cuff tear has been previously described. However, we are unaware of any report of anterior shoulder dislocation, humeral fracture, axillary neuropathy and subsequent rotator cuff tear requiring surgery when the axillary neuropathy was deemed permanent. We report the case of a 20-year-old woman who fell in a motocross accident and had an anterior shoulder dislocation, humeral fracture and axillary neuropathy. The fracture was treated surgically with open reduction and internal fixation. The axillary nerve injury was ultimately permanent. Thirteen months after the motocross accident, the patient sustained a rotator cuff tear from seemingly minor trauma. However, several months of aggressive physical therapy preceded the rotator cuff tear. The tear was repaired and the patient was followed for 5 years after the initial injury. She returned to competing in motocross, even though the axillary neuropathy remained complete and permanent.
Parallelism in inheritance hierarchies with exceptions

In a recent paper, Etherington & Reiter formalized a simple version of semantic networks with exceptions in terms of Reiter's Default Logic. With this approach they were able to formally characterize the correctness of an inference algorithm in terms of Default Logic, and exhibited an algorithm that was correct in this sense. Finally, they concluded that massively parallel architectures for semantic networks, such as NETL apparently cannot implement this algorithm. In this paper, we present a different massively parallel architecture for the simplified semantic networks outlined in their paper which appears to avoid the objections to NETL. We also present some results of simulations in this framework of the examples presented in Etherington and Reiter.
Rage Against the Machine: A Reply to Professors Bierschbach and Bibas

In the course of a 2009 article on prosecuting corporations, Albert Alschuler dropped a footnote mentioning that, “[o]ddly, scholars continue to express hope for rulemaking by prosecutors.” Certainly, Professor Alschuler had good reason to find peculiar the resurgence of academic interest in administrative rulemaking in criminal law enforcement. He had been among a group of eminent scholars who exposed and critiqued the discretionary judgments of various legal actors in the criminal process.
Suppressive effects of iron chelation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and their dependency on VHL inactivation

Abstract Increasing data implicate iron accumulation in tumorigenesis of the kidney, particularly the clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) subtype. The von Hippel Lindau (VHL)/hypoxia inducible factor-α (HIF-α) axis is uniquely dysregulated in ccRCC and is a major regulator and regulatory target of iron metabolism, yet the role of iron in ccRCC tumorigenesis and its potential interplay with VHL inactivation remains unclear. We investigated whether ccRCC iron accumulation occurs due to increased cell dependency on iron for growth and survival as a result of VHL inactivation. Free iron levels were compared between four VHL-mutant ccRCC cell lines (786-0, A704, 769-P, RCC4) and two benign renal tubule epithelial cell lines (RPTEC, HRCEp) using the Phen Green SK fluorescent iron stain. Intracellular iron deprivation was achieved using two clinical iron chelator drugs, deferasirox (DFX) and deferoxamine (DFO), and chelator effects were measured on cell line growth, cell cycle phase, apoptosis, HIF-1α and HIF-2α protein levels and HIF-α transcriptional activity based on expression of target genes CA9, OCT4/POU5F1 and PDGFβ/PDGFB. Similar assays were performed in VHL-mutant ccRCC cells with and without ectopic wild-type VHL expression. Baseline free iron levels were significantly higher in ccRCC cell lines than benign renal cell lines. DFX depleted cellular free iron more rapidly than DFO and led to greater growth suppression of ccRCC cell lines (>90% at ~30–150 µM) than benign renal cell lines (~10–50% at up to 250 µM). Similar growth responses were observed using DFO, with the exception that a prolonged treatment duration was necessary to deplete cellular iron adequately for differential growth suppression of the less susceptible A704 ccRCC cell line relative to benign renal cell lines. Apoptosis and G1-phase cell cycle arrest were identified as potential mechanisms of chelator growth suppression based on their induction in ccRCC cell lines but not benign renal cell lines. Iron chelation in ccRCC cells but not benign renal cells suppressed HIF-1α and HIF-2α protein levels and transcriptional activity, and the degree and timing of HIF-2α suppression correlated with the onset of apoptosis. Restoration of wild-type VHL function in ccRCC cells was sufficient to prevent chelator-induced apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest, indicating that ccRCC susceptibility to iron deprivation is VHL inactivation-dependent. In conclusion, ccRCC cells are characterized by high free iron levels and a cancer-specific dependency on iron for HIF-α overexpression, cell cycle progression and apoptotic escape. This iron dependency is introduced by VHL inactivation, revealing a novel interplay between VHL/HIF-α dysregulation and ccRCC iron metabolism. Future study is warranted to determine if iron deprivation using chelator drugs provides an effective therapeutic strategy for targeting HIF-2α and suppressing tumor progression in ccRCC patients.
Organofluorine Compounds as Positron Emission Tomography Tracers

The half-life of the 18 F isotope is the highest among all the positron-emitting isotopes, and therefore positron emission tomography (PET) using 18 F-labeled pharmaceuticals has practical advantage in the clinical settings. There are currently four 18 F-labeled PET imaging agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration: [ 18 F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG), Florbetapir- 18 F ([ 18 F]AV-45), florbetaben- 18 F (Neuraceq; BAY 94-9172), and flutemetamol- 18 F (Vizamyl). 18 F-FDG is useful for monitoring the glucose metabolism, while the remaining three tracers are designed to monitor the levels of amyloid plaques in the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer's- and Parkinson disease and epilepsy. Many more 18 F-labeled pharmaceuticals are in clinical trials for human PET imaging. This chapter outlines the recent developments in the synthesis and applications of the 18 F-labeled PET tracers.
Nonvisualization of Sentinel Lymph Nodes by Lymphoscintigraphy in Primary Cutaneous Melanoma: Incidence, Risk Factors, and a Review of Management Options.

Background Lymphoscintigraphy is often performed before sentinel lymph node biopsy, especially in areas likely to have multiple or aberrant drainage patterns. This study aims to determine the incidence and characteristics of melanoma patients with negative lymphoscintigraphic findings and to review the management options and surgical recommendations. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy between 2005 and 2016. Patients with nonvisualized lymph nodes on preoperative lymphoscintigraphy were compared in a 1:4 ratio with a randomly selected unmatched cohort drawn from all melanoma patients who underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy within the period of the study. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data were compared between these groups. Results A negative lymphoscintigraphic scan was seen in 2.3 percent of all cases (25 of 1073). In both univariate and multivariate analyses, predictive patient- and tumor-specific factors for negative lymphoscintigraphy included older age and head and neck location. Patients with a nonvisualized sentinel lymph node had significantly worse overall survival compared with patients who had a visualized sentinel lymph node, but there was no difference in melanoma-specific survival. In 16 of the 25 cases (64 percent), at least one sentinel lymph node was found intraoperatively despite the negative lymphoscintigraphic findings. Conclusions Older patients with head and neck melanomas are more likely to experience nodal nonvisualization on lymphoscintigraphy. In patients who have nodal nonvisualization, the surgeon should attempt sentinel lymph node biopsy at the time of excision of the primary lesion because a sentinel lymph node can still be found in a majority of cases, and it offers prognostic information. Clinical question/level of evidence Risk, II.
Multimorbidity and Opioid Prescribing in Hospitalized Older Adults.

Background: Multimorbidity and pain are both common among older adults, yet pain treatment strategies for older patients with multimorbidity have not been well characterized. Objectives: To assess ...
Strategic risk dominance in collective systems design

Engineered system architectures leveraging collaboration among multiple actors across organizational boundaries are envisioned to be more flexible, robust, or efficient than independent alternatives but also carry significant downside risks from new interdependencies added between constituents. This paper transitions the concept of risk dominance from equilibrium selection in game theory to engineering design as a strategic measure of collective stability for system of systems. A proposed method characterizes system design as a bi-level problem with two or more asymmetric decision-makers. A measure of risk dominance assesses strategic dynamics with respect to the stability of joint or collaborative architectures relative to independent alternatives using a novel linearization technique to approximate linear incentives among actors. An illustrative example case for an asymmetric three-player design scenario shows how strategic risk dominance can identify and mitigate architectures with unstable risk-reward dynamics.
A Qualitative Examination of Social Changes and Challenges in Rural Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injury

This article describes the results of a qualitative investigation of social changes and challenges for rural adolescents who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). We interviewed adolescents with mil...
Designer genetically‐encoded voltage‐dependent calcium channel inhibitors inspired by RGK GTPases

High-voltage-activated calcium (CaV 1/CaV 2) channels translate action potentials into Ca2+ influx in excitable cells to control essential biological processes that include; muscle contraction, synaptic transmission, hormone secretion and activity-dependent regulation of gene expression. Modulation of CaV 1/CaV 2 channel activity is a powerful mechanism to regulate physiology, and there are a host of intracellular signalling molecules that tune different aspects of CaV channel trafficking and gating for this purpose. Beyond normal physiological regulation, the diverse CaV channel modulatory mechanisms may potentially be co-opted or interfered with for therapeutic benefits. CaV 1/CaV 2 channels are potently inhibited by a four-member sub-family of Ras-like GTPases known as RGK (Rad, Rem, Rem2, Gem/Kir) proteins. Understanding the mechanisms by which RGK proteins inhibit CaV 1/CaV 2 channels has led to the development of novel genetically encoded CaV channel blockers with unique properties; including, chemo- and optogenetic control of channel activity, and blocking channels either on the basis of their subcellular localization or by targeting an auxiliary subunit. These genetically encoded CaV channel inhibitors have outstanding utility as enabling research tools and potential therapeutics.
Stomachirurgie bei Patienten mit kolorektalen Karzinomen

Kolorektale Karzinome gehoren zu den haufigsten Indikationen der Stomaanlage. Nach Rektumresektionen mit koloanalen Anastomosen wird eine protektive Stomaanlage empfohlen, wobei sowohl ein Ileo- als auch ein Kolostoma angelegt werden kann. Bei tiefsitzenden Rektumkarzinomen ist die tiefe anteriore Rektumresektion einer andominoperinealen Rektumexstirpation (APE) vorzuziehen. Allerdings ist nicht abschliesend klar, ob die Lebensqualitat nach intersphinktaren Rektumresektionen gegenuber der APE noch als vorteilhaft gewertet werden kann. Eine praventive Stomaanlage vor Radiochemotherapie sollte lediglich Einzelfallen nach kritischer Prufung uberlassen werden. Selbsexpandierende Stents, Resektionen mit protektivem Stoma und alleinige Stomaanlage sind Alternativen im Falle einer akuten karzinombedingten Obstruktion.
Towards Neural Machine Translation for Edoid Languages.

Many Nigerian languages have relinquished their previous prestige and purpose in modern society to English and Nigerian Pidgin. For the millions of L1 speakers of indigenous languages, there are inequalities that manifest themselves as unequal access to information, communications, health care, security as well as attenuated participation in political and civic life. To minimize exclusion and promote socio-linguistic and economic empowerment, this work explores the feasibility of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) for the Edoid language family of Southern Nigeria. Using the new JW300 public dataset, we trained and evaluated baseline translation models for four widely spoken languages in this group: Edo, Esan, Urhobo and Isoko. Trained models, code and datasets have been open-sourced to advance future research efforts on Edoid language technology.
Localised electrochemical co-deposition of copper-nickel using liquid marbles

A liquid marble is a droplet of liquid coated with microparticles or nanoparticles. A novel method of localised electrochemical co-deposition using liquid marbles and the feasibility of application of this method in additive manufacturing/micro-repair is discussed. Controllability of the transportation of liquid marbles to any desired location by pick and place technique has been demonstrated by depositing a 3 × 3 grid pattern with 1mm period using an in-house built CNC setup. An experimental study was conducted to study the effect of three process parameters viz. duty factor, reaction time and volume of electrolyte on the height of the deposit and ANOVA was performed at 95% confidence level. It was found that the duty factor was the most significant process parameter.
Perceived social support moderates neural reactivity to emotionally valenced stimuli during pregnancy

Reactivity to emotional information, measurable at the level of neural activity using event-related potentials, is linked to symptoms of affective disorders. Behavioral evidence suggests that contextual factors, such as social support, can alter emotional reactivity such that affective responding is normalized when social support is high. This possibility remains largely untested at the neural level, specifically through approaches that can offer insight into the mechanistic processes contributing to individual differences in emotional reactivity. Yet, such knowledge could be useful for prevention and intervention efforts, particularly with groups at risk for increased emotional reactivity, such as pregnant mothers for whom emotional distress predicts both maternal and child outcomes. Expectant mothers took part in a longitudinal study that tested whether the late positive potential (LPP), a neural index of reactivity to emotional information, was moderated by maternal perceptions of social support. In the third trimester of pregnancy, lower perceived social support was associated with an absence of a traditional LPP effect, which differentiates valenced from neutral stimuli. Findings suggest that perceptions of social support may normalize emotional processing at the neural level and highlight the potential importance of social support modulation of emotional reactivity during times of known biological change.
Strong coupling phenomena on the non-commutative plane

We study strong coupling phenomena in U(1) gauge theory on the non-commutative plane. To do so, we make use of a T-dual description in terms of an N → ∞ limit of U(N) gauge theory on a commutative torus. The magnetic flux on this torus is taken to be m = N − 1, while the area scales like 1/N, keeping ΛQCD fixed. With a few assumptions, we argue that the speed of high frequency light in pure non-commutative QED is modified in the non-commutative directions by the factor ΛQCD4 θ2, provided ΛQCD2 θ >> 1. If charged flavors are included, there is an upper bound on the momentum of a photon propagating in the non-commutative directions, beyond which it is unstable against production of charged pairs. We also discuss a particular θ→∞ limit of pure non-commutative QED which is T-dual to a more conventional N→∞ limit with m/N fixed. In the non-commutative description, this limit gives rise to an exotic theory of open strings.
How Have FAFSA Submissions Differed During COVID-19?

We examine changes in California’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) applications during the COVID-19 crisis. There was little change in applications for high school graduates due to...
Mycolicibacterium nivoides sp. nov isolated from a peat bog.

A fast-growing, non-chromogenic, acid-fast-staining bacterium (DL90T) was isolated from a peat bog in northern Minnesota. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (99.8 % identity with Mycolicibacterium septicum and 98 % with Mycolicibacterium peregrinum) and chemotaxonomic data (fatty acid content), strain DL90T represents a member of the genus Mycolicibacterium. Physiological tests (growth curves, biofilm formation, antibiotic sensitivity, colony morphologies and heat tolerance) and biochemical analysis (arylsulfatase activity and fatty acid profiles) distinguish DL90T from its closest relative M. septicum. Phylogenomic reconstruction of the 'Fortuitium-Vaccae' clade, digital DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) values of 61 %, and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of approximately 95 % indicate that DL90T is likely to be diverged from M. septicum. Thus, we propose that DL90T represents a novel species, given the name Mycolicibacterium nivoides with the type strain being isolate DL90T (=JCM 32796T=NCCB 100660T).
Some Practical Problems and Solutions Caused by the Centralized Procurement System of Medical Consumables from the Perspectives of Economics

The Centralized Procurement System of Medical Consumables leads to a cliff price reduction of a large number of high-value medical consumables and has long-term impacts on public hospitals that cannot be ignored. Both descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis methods were applied in this study to explore some practical problems caused by the CPSMC from the perspective of economics. The conclusions of this study are as follows: 1) China's per capita health expenditure, per capita healthcare expenditure, and basic medical insurance fund expenditure have been growing rapidly since 2010. It is a general trend to seek a more sustainable way of medical consumables procurement. 2) The percentage of medical materials income in the medical income of public hospitals is increasing year by year. The promotion of zero makeup for consumables and the Centralized Procurement System (CPS) may have negative impacts on the profitability of some public hospitals. 3) The Chinese doctors in public hospitals have been underpaid for a long time. Due to the superposition of the COVID-19 epidemic and the CPS, the salary of some doctors are also facing a significant decline in a short term. 4) Doctors cannot get reasonable income compensation in the long-term heavy medical work, which may lead to negative impacts such as the decline of work enthusiasm and the changes of medical types and medical processes. The conclusions of this paper will help decision-making departments and relevant groups to deepen the comprehensive understanding and judgment of the impacts of the CPS, improve the corresponding compensation mechanism and regulatory system, and promote a sustainable and healthy development of the CPS.
Studies directed toward the use of antibodies as carriers of radioactivity for therapy

The relationship of immunological reactions to the growth of normal and abnormal tissues are reviewed. The highly selective localization of a radioactivity-carrying antibody in a particular normal or neoplastic tissue depends on the existence of an antigenic substance accessible to intravenously administered antibody. Procedures likely to be involved in using antibodies for the tissue-specific localization of radioisotopes in therapeutic dosage ranges are discussed.
The virtual delivery and virtual organization of postsecondary education

1. The Knowledge Age and the Organization of Post-secondary Education 2.The Integration of Virtual Delivery and Virtual Organization 3. Research Context 4. The Network for Education and Technology Services: The Utility of the University of Maine System 5.The National Technological University: The First Truly Virtual University? 6. The University of California Extension Center for Media and Independent Learning: The Implications of Online Courses for the Organization 7. The Colorado Electronic Community College: Innovator, Consortial College, and Degree Broker 8. The Pennsylvania State University World Campus: Extending the Research University and Solving an Entrepreneurial Problem 9.Cross Case Comparisons 10. How Virtual Post-secondary Educational Organisations Function Within a Knowledge Industry Environment Implications for the Knowledge Industry/Sector
The Life Attitudes Schedule: A Scale to Assess Adolescent Life-Enhancing and Life-Threatening Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure suicidal and other risk-taking behaviors, the Life Attitudes Schedule (LAS), and to test a theoretical model that postulates a single domain of behaviors to which all life-threatening and life-enhancing behaviors belong. The LAS was developed and piloted on 1539 high school students and young adults. The schedule measures four different content categories: death related, health related, injury related, and self-related. Each content category includes an equal number of items designed to assess actions, thoughts, and feelings. Consistent with the theoretical model, the LAS includes positive (life-enhancing) and negative (life-threatening) behaviors. In this paper we present psychometric information for the LAS. The results are interpreted as providing support for a broad, bipolar conceptualization of suicidal and other risk-taking behavior that encompasses life-threatening and life-enhancing behaviors.
Activation of TGF-β mediated SMAD pathway induces cardiac fibrosis in mice carrying targeted disruption of guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A gene (547.17)

Mice carrying targeted-disruption of the natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA) gene (Npr1) have demonstrated cardiac hypertrophy with increased collagen deposition and fibrosis. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanisms regulating the development of fibrosis in Npr1 gene-disrupted mice hearts. The Npr1 null mutant (Npr1-/-, 0-copy), heterozygous (Npr1+/-, 1-copy), and wild-type (Npr1+/+, 2-copy) mice were orally administered with transforming growth factor-β1 receptor inhibitor GW788388 (2 mg/kg/day) for 28 days, and the hearts were isolated and used for quantification of fibrotic markers using real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analyses. Npr1-/- null mutant mice showed 6-fold induction of fibrosis in the hearts compared to wild-type controls. Moreover, the expression of fibrotic markers such as connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and TGF-βRI, TGF-βRII and SMAD proteins were upregulated ...
Calcium Entry Signals--Trickles and Torrents

Two ion channels on the surface of cells control calcium influx, which is critical for cell signaling. One channel allows transient calcium entry and the other slower, more sustained flow.
Habermas and Foucault: Deliberative Democracy and Strategic State Analysis

The paper explores ways to bring the approaches of J. Habermas and M. Foucault into a productive dialogue. In particular, it argues that Habermas's concept of deliberative democracy can and should be complemented by a strategic analysis of the state as it is found in Foucault's studies of governmentality. While deliberative democracy is a critical theory of democracy that provides normative knowledge about the legitimacy of a given system, it is not well equipped to generate knowledge that could inform the choice of strategies employed by (collective) actors from civil society — especially deliberative democrats — vis-a-vis the state to pursue their goals. This kind of strategic knowledge about strengths and vulnerabilities of a given state is provided by Foucault's reading of the state as driven by varying governing rationalities. Since, particularly in his later works, Habermas finds strategic action normatively acceptable under certain circumstances, I argue that societal actors could profit from an integrated approach that incorporates Foucault's strategic analysis into the framework of deliberative democracy. This approach would yield critical knowledge of both a normative and strategic, action-guiding nature.
Molecular genetics of selenate reduction by Enterobacter cloacae SLD1a-1.

Publisher Summary Selenium contamination of natural waters is a global environmental problem. A variety of anthropogenic activities, including coal combustion, mining, petroleum refining, and agricultural irrigation, are responsible for releasing toxic levels of selenium into the environment. Microorganisms inhabiting selenium-contaminated sediments can reduce dissolved Se(VI) to Se(0) and precipitate elemental selenium particles. The reduction and precipitation of selenium by Se-reducing bacteria has been proposed as a potential bioremediation Strategy. However, to employ Se-reducing bacteria for practical bioremediation, reliable models must be developed to predict microbial behavior, including when they are active, what mechanisms are involved, and under what conditions the mechanisms function. Identification of the genes that control microbial selenate reduction is central to understanding the environmental factors that regulate Se-reducing activity. This chapter describes the molecular biology of microbial selenate reduction, focusing specifically on a genetically tractable Se-reducing bacterium, Enterobacter cloacae SLD1a-1.
Use of statins and prostate cancer recurrence among patients treated with radical prostatectomy.

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Statins have shown broad spectrum anti-cancer properties in laboratory studies. In epidemiological studies, use of statins has been associated with reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer. However, the effects of statins on prostate cancer disease progression following curative treatment have not been extensively studied, and previous studies reported conflicting results. This study found no clear association between overall statin use and risk of disease progression, as well as lack of a monotone dose–response relationship between the use of statins, whether it was use before or after prostatectomy, and prostate cancer disease progression. Objective To investigate whether use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (‘statins’), which have shown broad spectrum anti-cancer properties in laboratory studies, is associated with a reduced risk of recurrence in patients with prostate cancer who undergo radical prostatectomy. Patients and Methods All men with incident prostate cancer diagnosed between 2004 and 2005 who subsequently underwent radical prostatectomy by the end of 2005 in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) health plan were identified using KPSC's cancer registry. Subjects were followed for up to 5 years after prostatectomy for (i) biochemical recurrence, defined as a single PSA measurement >0.2 ng/mL, and (ii) clinical disease progression, defined as diagnosis of metastatic disease or prostate-cancer-related death. Information on statin use, demographics, comorbidities, patho-clinical factors and outcomes were ascertained from KPSC's electronic medical records. The effects of statin use prior to and after prostatectomy were both examined using bivariate and multivariate Cox models, adjusting for known prognostic factors. For postoperative statin exposure, a time-dependent Cox model was used. Results A total of 1200 men were included; 37% had preoperative and 56% had postoperative statin use. Neither preoperative nor postoperative statin use was associated with biochemical recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00 [0.72–1.39] and 1.05 [0.76–1.46], respectively) or clinical disease progression (HR = 0.63 [0.31–1.27] and 1.20 [0.63–2.30], respectively). No clear dose–response relationship was found for duration of use. Conclusions Statin use may not prevent prostate cancer progression following radical prostatectomy. These findings do not provide support for the pursuit of a prospective clinical trial of statin use as a secondary prevention among surgically treated patients with prostate cancer.
Monoclonal autoantibodies promote central nervous system repair in an animal model of multiple sclerosis

Susceptible strains of mice infected intracerebrally with Theiler9s murine encephalomyelitis virus develop a chronic, progressive, immune- mediated CNS demyelinating disease similar both pathologically and clinically to multiple sclerosis. Previous reports indicated that polyclonal immunoglobulins from mice injected with homogenized spinal cord promote CNS remyelination when given to SJL/J mice chronically infected with Theiler9s virus. To explore further both the mechanism(s) and potential therapeutic usefulness of antibodies in the treatment of CNS demyelinating diseases, we made a panel of monoclonal antibodies derived from splenocytes of SJL/J mice injected with homogenized spinal cord, and screened them for their autoantigen-binding capability. Monoclonal IgM autoantibodies from two clones, designated SCH94.03 and SCH94.32, promoted fourfold more CNS remyelination than controls when given to chronically infected SJL/J mice. CNS remyelination, assessed morphologically by the presence of abnormally thin myelin sheaths relative to axonal diameter, correlated with the absence of clinical disease progression. In titration experiments, treatment with SCH94.03 and remyelination had a positive dose-response relationship, and as little as 10 micrograms of antibody promoted remyelination. Both SCH94.03 and SCH94.32 showed multiorgan autoreactivity, and recognized both surface and cytoplasmic determinants on glial cells. We propose that this model provides a unique system to elucidate the mechanism(s) and test the reparative potential of autoantibodies in the treatment of CNS injury.
Does International Trade Stabilize Exchange Rate Volatility

Ever since the early 1980s, major industrial countries have been suffering from severe multi-lateral trade imbalances, accompanied by tremendously volatile exchange rates. This paper examines the relationship between trade balance and exchange rate volatility. A stochastic macroeconomic model with sticky prices is developed. Our comparative statics and numerical simulation results indicate that an increased trade balance (relative to domestic aggregate demand) tends to reduce exchange rate volatility when the domestic absorption shock disturbs the economy. In the presence of all other domestic and foreign shocks, however, an increased trade balance tends to augment exchange-rate volatility, except for the case of a disturbance in domestic real income in which the effect of an increased trade balance is indeterminate. Our results suggest that whether trade imbalance has aggravated exchange rate volatility in many industrial countries is an open question, which needs to be solved through more empirical investigations.
Transketolase Mutants of Escherichia coli

Transketolase mutants have been selected after ethyl methane sulfonate mutagenesis of Escherichia coli. These strains are unable to grow on any pentose and, in addition, require a supplement of aromatic amino acids or shikimic acid for normal growth on any other carbon source. Revertants are normal in both respects and also contain transketolase. Transketolase mutants do not require exogenous pentose for growth. Preliminary genetic mapping of the locus is presented.
COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF NEWTOWN CREEK CULVERT

The design of corrugated-metal buried structures with spans of as much as 25 ft to 50 ft (7.6 m to 15 m) has been largely empirical. Finite element methods of analysis using computers have now been developed to provide a comprehensive and potentially more realistic model of the complex soil-structure interaction problem involved. The structure was a buried arch with a 26-ft (7.9-m) span, 15-ft (4.6-m) rise, and a soil cover of 23 ft (7.0 m). This structure was then thoroughly analyzed using the available finite element computer program, CANDE, developed for the Federal Highway Administration for use in design. The predicted values depended on the soil properties, for which suitable data were not available. This agreement was obtained by selection of the values of the soil properties by successive trials based on a comparison of the computed results with the correct answers for crown deflection and thrust stress. The accuracy of the predictions is therefore not yet proven. In contrast, some characteristics of other measurements, such as horizontal movement of the springline, were not easily predicted.
The Effect of Personal/Social Skills Lessons: The Missing Link in Prevention Curricula on Urban Middle School Student Tobacco Use.

Abstract A 2-year controlled study was conducted with urban and suburban middle school students to test the effect of a series of personal and social skill development lessons on behavior and behavioral intentions related to tobacco use. The intervention involved six lessons taught in the seventh grade and five lessons taught in the eighth grade. Although control group students demonstrated significant increases in number of cigarettes smoked, quantity of chewing tobacco/snuff used, combined use of alcohol and tobacco, and intention to use tobacco when older, experimental group students to whom the lessons were presented with fidelity showed no such expected increases. There were no significant findings on an intention-to-treat basis. The results of this study suggest that Personal/Social Skills Lessons: The Missing Link in Prevention Curricula, when taught with fidelity, provides students with skills to resist the uptake of certain health-compromising behaviors. The results also suggest that in further s...
Treating Depression During a Recession: Psychotherapy with Indigent Clients

During the last few years, the global economy has struggled and many clients have experienced significant financial hardship. It can be difficult to confront emotional problems when there are multiple life stressors impinging on clients and disrupting their daily functioning. Several recommendations are provided for helping clients to oppose their depressive tendencies when financial problems are real, significant, and lasting. First, therapists can provide a stable and supportive relationship that helps to ease the client’s emotional distress and lays the foundation for other aspects of treatment. Second, therapy can help to protect an optimistic attitude and instill hope for a better future. Third, behavioral activities can be used to encourage productive activity each day. Fourth, problem-solving skills can help many clients deal with stressors in a direct, constructive, and proactive manner. Fifth, therapy can examine ways to expand and improve the client’s social relationships. Finally, psychotherapists should collaborate with other health care professionals in order to ensure the optimal, integrated care for the client. It is hoped that these recommendations will be helpful for therapists who work with financially impoverished clients.
Site-Specific Chemistry of Gallium Arsenide Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Herein, we summarize our studies of the surface chemistry of gallium arsenide as it pertains to the metalorganic chemical-vapor deposition of compound semiconductors. It has been found by scanning tunneling microscopy and vibrational spectroscopy that the adsorption of reactant molecules on reconstructed GaAs (001) surfaces is site-specific. Trimethylgallium dissociatively adsorbs only on arsenic sites, whereas arsine dissociatively adsorbs only on gallium sites. The decomposition of one precursor molecule (Ga(CH 3 ) 3 or AsH 3 ) creates the site for the decomposition of the other molecule (AsH 3 or Ga(CH 3 ) 3 , respectively). In this fashion, the crystal grows one atomic layer at a time. Studies of carbon doping with carbon tetrachloride have shown that adsorbed chlorine attacks the exposed gallium and generates volatile GaCl x , species. The site-specific nature of this reaction leads to a dramatic change in the film morphology, with the formation of 30-nm etch pits randomly distributed over the surface.
Transfer of genetic information via isolated amphibian metaphase chromosomes

The metaphase chromosome transfer system of McBride and Ozer (1973) has been adapted to a haploid, euploid, frog cell line. Genes coding for a deoxypyrimidine kinase and an enzyme responsible for a thymidine-specific saturable transport system have each been transferred at frequencies between 10−6 and 10−5 transferents per cell treated. Revenants for each of these two genes were observed at frequencies between 10−8 and 10−7 revenants per cell tested. Selfing controls showed no transferents. Two colonies were obtained in which cotransfer of both genes may have occurred.
The influence of the thyroid on alanine synthesis by the liver.

WE HAVE investigated the influence of thyroidectomy and of the administration of desiccated thyroid upon the capacity of rat liver to synthesize alanine from sodium pyruvate and ammonium carbonate. The animals used were young adults, both male and female, mostly about 5 or 6 months old, a few as old as a year. In the normal animal, we observed no correlation between either sex, or within the limits of our observations, age, upon the synthesis we were studying. The observations were made upon liver slices prepared as for the Warburg technique, the animals being killed by a blow. Tissues were sliced into 20 cc. of a bicarbonate buffered Krebs solution containing phosphate, and about 100 mgm. (dry weight) were transferred to 20 cc, of of the above solution, or in the test experiments, to the same solution containing 0.1 M sodium pyruvate and 0.04 M ammonium carbonate.
Economic evaluation of the conversion of industrial paper sludge to ethanol

Abstract The conversion of industrial paper sludge to ethanol was simulated using engineering process simulation software loaded with laboratory generated conversion data and financially analyzed. In one scenario, sludge is fractionated to remove ash, generating a higher concentration carbohydrate stream for separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). In a second scenario, non-fractionated sludge is processed with only pH adjustment. Four primary sludges from mills producing either virgin or recycled paper were analyzed and the experimental conversion results used to inform the simulations. Financial analysis was conducted assuming ethanol wholesale price of US$ 0.608 per liter. The most profitable case was fractionated virgin sludge (from a virgin paper mill) to ethanol (F-VK1) with a net present value (NPV) of US$ 11.4 million, internal rate of return (IRR) of 28%, payback period of 4.4 years and minimum ethanol revenue (MER) of US$ 0.32 per liter. Risk analysis showed that the F-VK1 case obtained a near 100% probability of business success with both central and bearish (pessimistic) assumptions.
Primary hemochromatosis: Anatomic and physiologic characteristics of the cardiac ventricles and their response to phlebotomy

M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiography and gated equilibrium blood pool imaging (rest and exercise) were used in 10 patients with primary hemochromatosis to characterize the spectrum of pathophysiologic abnormalities of the cardiac ventricles and to determine the response to chronic therapeutic phlebotomy. Dilated and restrictive cardiomyopathic patterns were identified in 1 patient each, but our data do not permit conclusions on when in the natural history a given pattern becomes overt. On entry into study, 3 patients had normal ventricles and 7 had ventricular abnormalities on echocardiography and blood pool angiography. In 2 of the latter patients, biventricular dysfunction and increased left ventricular (LV) mass normalized after phlebotomy; 1 patient achieved a normal LV response to exercise. Of the 4 patients with isolated abnormal LV ejection fraction responses to exercise, the EF normalized in 2 after phlebotomy. In 1 patient, isolated right ventricular enlargement and dysfunction (echocardiographic and radionuclide imaging) normalized after phlebotomy. Thus, primary hemochromatosis can effect LV and RV size and function; clinically occult cardiac involvement can be identified by echocardiography and equilibrium blood pool imaging; therapeutic phlebotomy can ameliorate or reverse the deleterious effects of excess cardiac iron deposition which appears to exert its harm, at least in part, by a mechanism other than irreversible connective tissue replacement.
Differential Deactivation during Mentalizing and Classification of Autism Based on Default Mode Network Connectivity

The default mode network (DMN) is a collection of brain areas found to be consistently deactivated during task performance. Previous neuroimaging studies of resting state have revealed reduced task-related deactivation of this network in autism. We investigated the DMN in 13 high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 14 typically developing control participants during three fMRI studies (two language tasks and a Theory-of-Mind (ToM) task). Each study had separate blocks of fixation/resting baseline. The data from the task blocks and fixation blocks were collated to examine deactivation and functional connectivity. Deficits in the deactivation of the DMN in individuals with ASD were specific only to the ToM task, with no group differences in deactivation during the language tasks or a combined language and self-other discrimination task. During rest blocks following the ToM task, the ASD group showed less deactivation than the control group in a number of DMN regions, including medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior cingulate gyrus/precuneus. In addition, we found weaker functional connectivity of the MPFC in individuals with ASD compared to controls. Furthermore, we were able to reliably classify participants into ASD or typically developing control groups based on both the whole-brain and seed-based connectivity patterns with accuracy up to 96.3%. These findings indicate that deactivation and connectivity of the DMN were altered in individuals with ASD. In addition, these findings suggest that the deficits in DMN connectivity could be a neural signature that can be used for classifying an individual as belonging to the ASD group.