cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers and Facilitators to Colorectal Cancer Screening in African-American Men

African-Americans rank last among all racial groups for age-adjusted colorectal cancer mortality, 5-year survival rates, and rates of screening. Access to care does not fully explain racial disparities in rates of CRC and mortality. Sociocultural attitudes can predict probabilities of CRC screening. The objective of this study is to identify factors that influence colorectal cancer screening behavior in African-American men. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 32 African-American men. Transcripts were analyzed using MAXQDA software. We then conducted a cross-sectional survey of 103 African-American men, using previously validated scales related to colorectal cancer screening and determinants. Data were analyzed with SPSS. In the interview phase, beliefs relating to masculinity emerged as factors that hindered participation in screening. Overwhelmingly, participants felt that having an in-depth discussion about colorectal cancer with their provider was critical to enabling them to get screened. The survey phase demonstrated that most participants had poor colorectal cancer knowledge, as only 16% passed the knowledge test. Forty-eight percentage agreed that their provider did not recommend getting screened. Those who had been previously screened for colorectal cancer scored higher in total and on all subsets of the masculinity index than those who had not (p < .01). The most persuasive messages were those related to themes of masculinity. This study provides a novel sociocultural perspective about colorectal cancer screening in African-American men. Our findings highlight the importance of family, masculinity, and community when promoting colorectal cancer screening to this population.
ESCA: Event-Based Split-CNN Architecture with Data-Level Parallelism on UltraScale+ FPGA

This paper presents an event-based split-CNN architecture (ESCA) for running time-critical vision applications with comparatively less memory footprint while consuming low power. ESCA has a dedicated hardware architecture and scheduling of on-chip memory buffering using a split-CNN that reduces memory requirements by splitting the feature maps into small patches and independently executes them. The model emulates the concepts of the biological vision system to obtain possible events from each patch. We save energy and time by processing only the patches with possible events. The data-level parallelism is employed with a deep pipeline strategy that accelerates the system. We implement the design in the Virtex UltraScale+ FPGA at 320 MHz. Simulation results show that the architecture obtains significant speedup while power-saving depends on each image patch’s features.
An analysis of the rates of discontinuation and non-publication of colorectal cancer clinical trials

Non-publication and premature discontinuation for clinical trials pose an ethical dilemma for trial participants, patients, clinicians, and researchers, as well as the general public as these studies receive significant public funding that may be further contributing to research waste. Here, we investigate the rate of trial discontinuation and non-publication among CRC trials using ClinicalTrials.gov. We performed an advanced search on ClinicalTrials.gov pertaining to the treatment of CRC using the keyword colorectal cancer. For each clinical trial, links to the publication provided by ClinicalTrials.gov were searched and verified to be correct. If a publication was unable to be found using the methods above, we attempted to contact the lead investigator via email for the reason for non-publication. Of the 123 (123/428, 28.7%) discontinued trials, a reason for discontinuation was provided for 57 (57/123, 46.3%) trials. Of the 305 (305/428, 71.3%) completed trials, 244 (244/305, 80.0%) had a verifiable publication, while 61 (61/305, 20.0%) did not publish their findings or were unable to be located. We found that more than one-quarter of trials were prematurely ended, and almost one-third of completed trials did not publish their findings. Subjecting trial participants to potentially harmful treatments and interventions that fail to complete or publish study findings have the potential to undermine the patient-provider relationship, as well as public confidence in government-sponsored clinical trials.
Altered theta rhythm and hippocampal-cortical interactions underlie working memory deficits in a hyperglycemia risk factor model of Alzheimer's disease.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease associated with dysregulated glucose and insulin levels and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) later in life. It is thought that chronic hyperglycemia leads to neuroinflammation and tau hyperphosphorylation in the hippocampus leading to cognitive decline, but effects on hippocampal network activity are unknown. A sustained hyperglycemic state was induced in otherwise healthy animals and subjects were then tested on a spatial delayed alternation task while recording from the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Hyperglycemic animals performed worse on long delay trials and had multiple electrophysiological differences throughout the task. We found increased delta power and decreased theta power in the hippocampus, which led to altered theta/delta ratios at the end of the delay period. Cross frequency coupling was significantly higher in multiple bands and delay period hippocampus-ACC theta coherence was elevated, revealing hypersynchrony. The highest coherence values appeared long delays on error trials for STZ animals, the opposite of what was observed in controls, where lower delay period coherence was associated with errors. Consistent with previous investigations, we found increases in phosphorylated tau in STZ animals’ hippocampus and cortex, which might account for the observed oscillatory and cognitive changes. To investigate the effects of chronic hyperglycemia on hippocampal network activity Wirt et al induced sustained hyperglycemia in rats and tested them in a spatial delayed alternation task while recording from the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex. They demonstrated that hyperglycemia impaired task performance and altered theta rhythm as well as increasing tau phosphorylation, which suggest there is potentially a direct link between chronic hyperglycemia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Compounding Pearls--Wound Care: Drugs and Formulations for Dermal Healing, Part 3: The Roles of Nitric Oxide, Sildenafil, and Naltrexone.

Dermal healing occurs via a linear sequence of events in which growth factors cause cell proliferation and a subsequent integration of changes that involve soluble mediators, parenchymal and blood cells, and the production of extracellular matrix. Myriad factors influence the process and progress of healing damaged skin, and numerous agents have been used alone or in combination with other active substances to enable both responses to skin injury or disease. In this third article in a series on compounding for dermal healing, the role of nitric oxide in dermal repair is examined, as is the effectiveness of both sildenafil and naltrexone in promoting recovery. Also provided are compounded skin-healing formulations that proved effective when treatment with commercially manufactured medications failed.
The Effect of Body Mass Index on Perioperative Outcomes After Major Surgery: Results from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) 2005–2011

Obesity is associated with poor surgical outcomes and disparity in access-to-care. There is a lack of quality data on the effect of body mass index (BMI) on perioperative outcomes. Accordingly, we sought to determine the procedure specific, independent-effect of BMI on 30-day perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing major surgery. Participants included individuals undergoing one of 16 major surgery (cardiovascular, orthopedic, oncologic; n = 141,802) recorded in the ACS-NSQIP (2005–2011). Outcomes evaluated included complications, blood transfusion, length-of-stay (LOS), re-intervention, readmission, and perioperative mortality. Multivariable-regression models assessed the independent-effect of BMI on outcomes. Nearly, 74 % of patients had a BMI disturbance; the majority being overweight (35.3 %) or obese (29.8 %). Morbidly obese patients constituted a small but significant proportion of the patients (5.7 %; n = 8067). In adjusted-analyses, morbidly obese patients had significantly increased odds of wound complications in 15 of the examined procedures, of renal complications after 6-procedures, of thromboembolism after 5-procedures, of pulmonary, septic and UTI complications after 2-procedures, and of cardiovascular complications after CABG. Conversely, obese/overweight patients, except for increased odds of wound complications after select procedures, had significantly decreased odds of perioperative mortality, prolonged-LOS and blood transfusion relative to normal BMI patients after 4, 8, and 9 of the examined procedures. The prevalence of BMI derangements in surgical patients is high. The effect of BMI on outcomes is procedure specific. Patients with BMI between 18.5 and 40-kg/m2 at time of surgery fare equally well with regard to complications and mortality. However, morbidly obese patients are at-risk for postsurgical complications and targeted preoperative-optimization may improve outcomes and attenuate disparity in access-to-care.
FRET Microscopy: Basics, Issues and Advantages of FLIM-FRET Imaging

Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is an effective and high resolution method to investigate protein–protein interaction in live or fixed specimens. The FRET technique is increasingly employed to evaluate the molecular mechanisms governing diverse cellular processes such as vesicular transport, signal transduction and the regulation of gene expression. For FRET to occur, protein moieties should be close together within 10 nm, the dipole moment of the fluorophore targeted to the proteins should have an appropriate orientation, and the spectral overlap of the donor emission with the acceptor absorption should be >30 %. FRET can be used to estimate the distance between interacting protein molecules in vivo or in vitro using light microscopy systems. Visible fluorescent proteins (VFPs) have been widely used as a FRET pair in addition to organic dyes. Light microscopy techniques including wide-field, confocal and multiphoton microscopy systems provide spatial information of the interacting proteins with nanometer resolution. For better interpretation and quantitation of the FRET signal the contaminations—also called spectral bleedthrough (SBT)—have to be removed. Another imaging approach, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) also provides quantitative information with spatial and temporal details of protein-protein interactions. No algorithm is required here to remove any contamination, as in FLIM-FRET only the change in lifetime value of the donor without and with the acceptor molecules is monitored. The lifetime of the donor decreases at the occurrence of FRET. FLIM is sensitive to the local microenvironment of the molecule but insensitive to the change in fluorophore concentration or excitation intensity. The FLIM-FRET technique is ideal for dark acceptors and the investigation of NADH molecules such as NADH, FAD, Tryptophan, etc. FLIM-FRET techniques provide high temporal resolution of protein-protein interactions in live specimens.
Proteasome Inhibition After Burn Injury

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of proteasome inhibition on the development of burn-induced hypermetabolism. Rats underwent 30–40% total BSA scald burn or sham injury. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (0.1 mg/kg) or vehicle (n = 10) was administered i.p. 3× weekly starting at 2 hours (early bortezomib, n = 20) or 48 hours (late-bortezomib, n = 13) postburn. Body weights were determined weekly. Resting energy expenditures (REE) were measured at days 0 (baseline), 7, 14, 21, and 42 postburn. At day 42, blood and pectoral muscle were harvested. Routine blood chemistry parameters were analyzed. Proteasome content, proteasome peptidase activities, and ubiquitin–protein conjugates were measured in muscle extracts. As compared with sham-vehicle-treated animals, specific proteasome activities were increased after burn and vehicle treatment. Bortezomib treatment inhibited proteasome activities and increased ubiquitin–protein conjugates after sham and burn injury. Bortezomib treatment did not affect REE after sham procedure. REE significantly increased by 47% within 7 days and remained elevated until day 42 after burn and vehicle treatment. After early-bortezomib treatment, burn-induced increases in REE were delayed and significantly reduced by 42% at day 42, as compared with vehicle treatment. With late-bortezomib treatment, burn-induced increases in REE were also delayed but not attenuated at day 42. Mortality was 20% with vehicle, 65% (median survival time: 1.875 days) with early-bortezomib and 25% with late-bortezomib treatment after burns (P < .05 early-bortezomib vs vehicle and late-bortezomib). Proteasome inhibition delays development of burn-induced hypermetabolism. Although proteasome inhibition early after burn injury reduces the hypermetabolic response, it significantly increases early burn-associated mortality.
CEO Selection and Executive Appearance

We use an impartial scientific-based measure of executive facial attractiveness and find that being more attractive increases the likelihood of winning a CEO tournament. Attractiveness is most influential when there is a large pool of similarly qualified candidates. New CEO attractiveness is associated with improved long-run performance through the channel of increased sales. More attractive inside executives are associated with higher abnormal returns around their CEO selection announcement. Finally, we discover evidence that females are held to a higher standard of beauty. In sum, facial attractiveness is an important executive trait with significant labor market and corporate finance implications.
Chapter 5.8 Transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. The history of the transgenic modeling of Alzheimer's disease illustrates how difficult it can be to model a seemingly straightforward disease. It is expected that over-expression of either normal APP (to model Down's associated AD) or mutant APP (to model the familial AD cases)can lead to the Aft elevation and deposition into plaques, the formation of pathogenic tau and tangles, cell damage, neuro-degeneration and concomitant cognitive impairment. Although there are reports of associated cell damage and cognitive impairment in these mice, further work is required to fully illustrate the extent and significance of these changes. The chapter illustrates that it is not important to achieve the full behavioral and histopathological phenotype in mice to successfully help humans and the mysteries of why mice fail to develop NFTs or undergo extensive neuro-degeneration like their human counter parts may become academic.
Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm secondary to cardiac stab wound

Abstract A case of successful surgical treatment of a pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle secondary to stab wound in a 13 year old girl is presented, and the importance of the long term follow-up is stressed. The problem of differentiating true aneurysm of the ventricle from pseudoaneurysm is discussed.
Biology of foodborne pathogens on produce.

This chapter reviews the attachment to and localization of human pathogens on the surfaces of plants. It first describes the physicochemical environment of plant surfaces to which bacteria must attach to survive and proliferate. It then summarizes the major known mechanisms of attachment of bacteria to plants, with special reference to the similarities between the cell surface moieties of plant-associated bacteria and those of human pathogens. The chapter discusses the research that has been conducted on the localization of human pathogenic bacteria on plant surfaces. It presents experimental evidence for the internalization of human pathogens in plants, as well as for their persistence on and in field-grown crops. More recently, research has begun to document the ability of foodborne pathogens to persist once attached to plant surfaces. The chapter presents some of the most relevant findings regarding the persistence of human pathogens on plants, supporting the hypothesis that preharvest bacterial attachment and subsequent survival may result in the consumption of contaminated produce. It further emphasizes the need to understand in greater detail the mechanisms by which foodborne pathogens attach to plant tissues and the ecology of these bacteria in the plant-soil environment. In contrast, the ability of foodborne pathogens to attach to plant surfaces has only begun to be characterized chemically and molecularly.
11. Growth and Doping of Compound Semiconductor Films by Pulsed Laser Ablation

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the growth and doping of compound semiconductor films by pulsed laser ablation (PLA). The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in thin film growth by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), as well as intense study of the physical and chemical mechanisms responsible for the PLA process. The two most important advantages of PLA are (1) ablation's ability to transfer faithfully (stoichiometrically) the composition of a complex, multi-element material from a polycrystalline target to an epitaxial film and (2) its capability for reactive deposition in a low-pressure ambient gas. The chapter presents an overview of the advantages and limitations of PLD for epitaxial film growth and of recent progress to overcome its limitations, independent of the choice of material. It also presents the basic principles underlying the solutions to such problems. The chapter presents a selective review on the current status of compound semiconductor epitaxial film growth and doping by PLD. This is the first review of compound semiconductor film growth by laser ablation. The chapter also discusses compound semiconductor materials for which PLA's characteristics may provide inherent advantages and for which film growth and in situ diagnostic data are sufficient to draw conclusions regarding key materials issues.
Extracellular Zinc Concentration and Water Metabolism in Chicks

Four experiments were performed to determine the effect of dietary zinc deficiency on water metabolism. Day-old chicks were fed for 3 weeks diets which contained isolated soybean protein, cornstarch and graded levels of zinc. Chicks fed the basal (less than 1 ppm Zn) diet supplemented with 0, 5, 10, 20 and 100 ppm zinc had plasma zinc concentrations of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 1.0 and 1.3 ppm and hematocrit values of 39, 36, 33, 30 and 29, respectively. Plasma zinc concentration dropped significantly within 12 hours after chicks consumed a zinc-deficient diet and the hematocrit rose significantly within 5 days. Zinc-deficient chicks had significantly (P less than 0.05) less extracellular and more intracellular water than feed-restricted controls. There was no difference in total body water. Zinc-deficient chicks had significantly elevated ratios of Na+/K+ in liver, skin and muscle but no difference in serum. Treatment with a combination of zinc and saline significantly lowered the hematocrit within 2 hours when given intraperitoneally and within 4 hours when given intragastrically. The correlation between the plasma zinc concentration and water distribution suggests that extracellular zinc has a specific effect on water metabolism.
What Happened to the Liberal Arts

This chapter describes some of the forces that worked to move the 2-year college away from the liberal arts and toward vocational programs. The analysis centers on agencies that made job training a priority.
Spatial and temporal deployment of crop roots in CO2-enriched environments

summary Growth of crops in CO # -enriched atmospheres typically results in significant changes in root growth and development. Increased root carbohydrates stimulate root growth either directly (functioning as substrates) or indirectly (functioning as signal molecules) by enhancing cell division or cell expansion, or both. Although highly variable, the literature suggests that, generally, initiation and stimulation of lateral roots is favored over the elongation of primary roots, leading to more highly branched, shallower root systems. Such architectural shifts can render root systems less ecient, perhaps contributing to the lower specific root activities often reported. Allocation of carbon (C) to roots fluctuates through the life of the plant; root functional and growth responses should therefore not be viewed as static. In annual crops, C allocation to belowground processes changes as vegetative growth switches to reproduction and maturation. Reductions in C allocation to roots over time might cause temporal shifts in root deployment, perhaps aecting root demography. However, significant changes in root turnover (defined here as root flux or mortality relative to total root pool size) as a result of decreased root longevities in crop plants are unlikely. Consideration of changing C allocation to roots, a more thorough understanding of the mechanistic controls on root longevity, and a better characterization of the rooting habits (life histories) of dierent crop species will further our understanding of how increasing atmospheric [CO # ] will aect root demography. This knowledge will lead the way toward a more thorough understanding of the linkage of atmosphere with belowground plant function and also that of plant function with soil biology and structure. Ultimately, successful modeling of global C and nitrogen (N) cycles will require empirical data concerning spatial and temporal deployment of roots for a range of crop species grown under dierent agricultural management systems.
Bayesian analysis of inspection sampling procedures discussed by Deming

Abstract Two models for inspection sampling considered by Deming are analyzed and contrasted from a Bayesian decision analysis point of view. We analyze the models using influence diagrams, a useful technique for displaying logical and statistical dependence between unknown quantities and decision variables in inspection sampling problems.
Radar Observations of Mars

Radar observations of mars, with total echo power measured by a radiometer and analyzed into its frequency spectrum by the autocorrelation approach
Dehydroepiandrosterone promotes pulmonary artery relaxation by NADPH oxidation-elicited subunit dimerization of protein kinase G 1α

The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) controls a vascular smooth muscle relaxing mechanism promoted by the oxidation of cytosolic NADPH, which has been associated with activation of the 1α form of protein kinase G (PKG-1α) by a thiol oxidation-elicited subunit dimerization. This PKG-1α-activation mechanism appears to contribute to responses of isolated endothelium-removed bovine pulmonary arteries (BPA) elicited by peroxide, cytosolic NADPH oxidation resulting from G6PD inhibition, and hypoxia. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid hormone with pulmonary vasodilator activity, which has beneficial effects in treating pulmonary hypertension. Because multiple mechanisms have been suggested for the vascular effects of DHEA and one of the known actions of DHEA is inhibiting G6PD, we investigated whether it promoted relaxation associated with NADPH oxidation, PKG-1α dimerization, and PKG activation detected by increased vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation. Relaxation of BPA to DHEA under aerobic or hypoxic conditions was associated with NADPH oxidation, PKG-1α dimerization, and increased VASP phosphorylation. The vasodilator activity of DHEA was markedly attenuated in pulmonary arteries and aorta from a PKG knockin mouse containing a serine in place of a cysteine involved in PKG dimerization. DHEA promoted increased PKG dimerization in lungs from wild-type mice, which was not detected in the PKG knockin mouse model. Thus PKG-1α dimerization is a major contributing factor to the vasodilator actions of DHEA and perhaps its beneficial effects in treating pulmonary hypertension.
Intrepid, Imprudent, or Impetuous?: The Effects of Gender Threats on Men's Financial Decisions

Among the conjectured causes of the recent U.S. financial crisis is the hyper-masculine culture of Wall Street that promotes extreme risk-taking. In two experiments, we found that threats to their manhood motivated men to take greater financial risks and favor immediate (vs. delayed) fiscal rewards. In Experiment 1, men placed larger bets during a gambling game after a gender threat as compared to men in an affirmation condition. In Experiment 2, after a gender threat, men pursued an immediate financial payoff rather than waiting for interest to accrue, but only if they believed their decision was public. When the decision was private, gender-threatened men did not show the same desire for immediate reward. These results suggest that gender threats may shift men’s financial decisions toward more risky and short-sighted public choices.
PADL-2: A Technical Summary

Academia, business, and government joined forces to produce PADL-2, a flexible, extensible geometric solid modeling system. P2/MM is its current implementation; an improved version is under development.
Defective phosphorylation and processing of β-hexosaminidase by intact cultured fibroblasts from patients with mucolipidosis III

Previous studies of the synthesis, phosphorylation, and processing of β-hexosaminidase in cultured fibroblasts from normal individuals and from patients with mucolipidosis II (I-cell disease) (A. Hasilik and E. F. Neufeld, 1980, J. Biol. Chem.225, 4937–4946) have been extended to fibroblasts derived from patients with a related genetic disorder, mucolipidosis III (pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy). The enzyme was biosynthetically labeled in pulse-chase experiments with [3H]leucine and 33Pi, and isolated from cells and medium by immunoprecipitation. The constitutent α and β chains of the enzyme were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing and denaturing conditions, visualized by autoradiography and fluorography, extracted from the gel, and quantitated by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Enzyme produced by fibroblasts from mucolipidosis III patients had a very low but detectable phosphate content; a high proportion of newly made enzyme was secreted, though some remained within the cells and was processed to mature enzyme; the presence of NH4Cl during the labeling and chase did not significantly increase the amount of enzyme secreted. The β-hexosaminidase produced by mucolipidosis III fibroblasts thus resembled more closely that produced by fibroblasts from patients with mucolipidosis II than the normal enzyme. β-Hexosaminidase made by fibroblasts from mucolipidosis II heterozygotes was similar to the normal enzyme with respect to phosphorylation, processing, and secretion. Mucolipidosis II and III fibroblasts could endocytose normal precursor β-hexosaminidase and process it to the mature form. The deficiency of mature enzyme in the patients' cells may therefore be attributed to failure of the unphosphorylated enzyme to be incorporated into lysosomes, where processing would normally occur.
Electron-capture collisions at keV energies of boron and other multiply charged ions with atoms and molecules. II. Atomic hydrogen

Single electron-capture cross sections have been measured for boron ions ${\mathrm{B}}^{q+}$ with initial charges $q=2, 3, \mathrm{and} 4$ incident on an atomic hydrogen target. The cross sections ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{21}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{43}$ are large and show little dependence on the ion energy for the range studied, $6q$ to $23q$ keV. The cross section ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{32}$ increases with increasing energy in this same range. Also reported is a survey of single electron-capture cross sections for ions of carbon ($2\ensuremath{\le}q\ensuremath{\le}4$), nitrogen ($2\ensuremath{\le}q\ensuremath{\le}5$), and oxygen ($2\ensuremath{\le}q\ensuremath{\le}5$) at the single energies $8q$ keV also incident on atomic hydrogen.
Some sites and sightings of narrative theory in the eighties

RECENT THEORIES OF NARRATIVE. By Wallace Martin. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1986: pp. 242; $29.95. WHAT STORIES ARE: NARRATIVE THEORY AND INTERPRETATION. By Thomas M. Leitch. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1986; pp. x + 222; $22.95. NARRATIVE CROSSINGS: THEORY AND PRAGMATICS OF PROSE FICTION. By Alexander Gelley. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987; pp. iv + 178; $22.50. WHO SAYS THIS?: THE AUTHORITY OF THE AUTHOR, THE DISCOURSE, AND THE READER. By Welch D. Everman. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1988; pp. xvii + 142; $17.95. STORY AND SITUATION: NARRATIVE SEDUCTION AND THE POWER OF FICTION. By Ross Chambers. Foreword by Wlad Godzich. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1984; pp. xxii + 255; pap. $14.95.
The widespread nature of phenotypic variability in hepatomas and cell lines, in the form of a geometric series☆

Abstract The phenomenon of geometric phenotypic variability is described and its widespread occurrence is established by a new analysis of data from a literature survey of quantitative variation in 39 different enzymes and other cell products in hepatomas and cell lines. The range of variation from hepatoma to hepatoma or from cell line to cell line was between 3-and 700-fold, depending on the particular cell product. By collating together and normalizing the data for the enzymes and other cell products surveyed, it was demonstrated in a statistically valid manner that the quantitative variation for most, if not all, of the enzymes and serum albumin was not random, but followed a geometric series, the consecutive terms of which differed by a factor of √2. In addition, examples are presented to show that quantitative inheritance in normal tissues also occurs along this geometric series.
Theoretical and experimental approaches to spatial aspects of electrolocation

The shape of an electric fish's field, within an aquarium of finite size, was calculated by numerical computer simulation (Figs. 3, 4). An object differing in conductivity from the surrounding water distorts the electric field of the fish. The associated changes in potential on the animal's body surface are monitored by electroreceptors and thus represent the “electric image” of the object (Fig. 6). The “intensity” of this image decays approximately with a negative power function of the distance between object and fish (Fig. 11). Body geometry, such as an elongated tail, as well as resistances of the interior body and skin are of prime importance for electrolocation performance (Figs. 7, 8, 10). Some theoretical conclusions are supported by neurophysiological and behavioral data (Figs. 12, 13), others still have to be tested experimentally.
Methylidyne XC⋮MX3 (M = Cr, Mo, W; X = H, F, Cl) Diagnostic C−H and C−X Stretching Absorptions and Methylidene CH2MX2 Analogues

Laser-ablated Cr, Mo, and W atoms react with di-, tri-, and tetrahalomethanes to form XC⋮MX3 (M = Mo, W; X = H, F, Cl) methylidyne molecules as major products. Dihalomethanes also give a minor yiel...
Memory management and compiler support for rapid recovery from failures in computer systems

This paper describes recent developments in the use of memory management and compiler technology to support rapid recovery from failures in computer systems. The techniques described include cache coherence protocols for user transparent checkpointing in multiprocessor systems, compiler-based checkpoint placement, compiler-based code modification for multiple instruction retry, and forward recovery in distributed systems utilizing optimistic execution.
Effects of hexachlorophene in the rat and their reversibility

Abstract Treatment of albino rats once daily for 6 weeks with graded doses of hexachlorophene led to pathologic changes in the white tracts of the central nervous system. These changes were dose related with respect to both incidence and severity and consisted of focal vacuolization (status spongiosus) which was most severe in the cerebellum, less severe in the spinal cord, and least severe in the cerebrum. The effect was graded as severe for cerebellar tissue at dose levels of 40 mg/kg and higher, and a lower incidence of less severe changes was observed at 20 mg/kg. Dietary administration of hexachlorophene for 90 days at levels up to 200 ppm led to a moderate degree of vacuolization in only 2 of 20 rats at the highest level and no signs of central nervous system disorders were observed. Hexachlorophene blood concentrations were dose related but did not increase with duration of exposure beyond 30 days. These concentrations ranged from 1.5 to 3 μg/ml at the highest feeding level. Sequential sacrifice of rats following daily treatment for 42 days with 40 mg/kg by gavage produced evidence that the effects are reversible. Gross effects disappeared within 1 week, and histopathologic changes gradually and regularly diminished from severe changes for animals sacrificed 6 hr after the last dose to barely detectable changes after a recovery period of 84 days. No effect was detectable after 168 days. Examination of tissues stained with solochrome cyanine yielded no evidence of demyelination, and electron micrographs suggest that the changes consist of edema together with axonal swelling in instances of severe effects.
Discourses About Gender Among Hmong American Policymakers: Conflicting Views About Gender, Culture, and Hmong Youth

In this article, we draw on research with Hmong American community members to contribute to a more complex understanding of Hmong culture. Specifically, in a critical discourse analysis of interviews with 3 influential Hmong American politicians, we highlight the divergent perspectives on early marriage, Hmong gender norms, and the struggles of Hmong parents and youth. We conclude with a discussion of language and identity, and point to the detrimental influence of dominant discourse on Hmong Americans.
La-alloying study of Ce Co Ge 2 : Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements

We report measurements of magnetic susceptibility and specific heat for polycrystalline ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{La}}_{x}\mathrm{Co}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2}$ for $x=0$, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, and 1. $\mathrm{Ce}\mathrm{Co}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2}$ is considered as a concentrated $J=5∕2$ Kondo system. We have found significant preferential orientation in the magnetic susceptibility implying magnetic anisotropy. Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat results do not corroborate the single impurity model and imply the importance of crystalline electric fields and magnetic correlations. Low-temperature specific heat and susceptibility data for $x=0.2$ suggest a possibility of a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic quantum critical point.
Minimally Invasive Treatment of Pancreatic Disease

Minimally invasive surgery has been widely accepted as an alternative to conventional open surgery in many gastrointestinal fields and is now considered the standard of care in bariatric surgery as well as oncologic surgery of the colon and stomach. Despite the advancements in laparoscopic surgery instrumentation and technique, the anatomic relationships of the pancreas and the need for complex reconstructions have slowed similar progress in management of pancreatic disease. However, numerous recent studies show promising results in laparoscopic management of pancreatic pseudocyst, necrosis, and benign and malignant pancreatic neoplasms. We present the current status of clinical application of minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of complicated pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic neoplasms, and provide a review of the relevant literature. Present day and probable future developments, such as the use of robotics, natural orifice techniques, and major vascular reconstruction are also presented.
Disruption of cellular elements and water in neurotoxicity: studies using electron probe X-ray microanalysis.

Regulation of elements and water in nerve cells is a complex, multifaceted process which appears to be vulnerable to neurotoxic events. However, much of our knowledge concerning the potential role of elements in nerve cell injury is limited by the relatively gross level of corresponding analyses. If we are to confirm and understand the proposed role, more precise and detailed information is needed. As indicated in this commentary, research employing electron probe microanalysis and digital X-ray imaging has begun to provide this necessary information. Recent EPMA studies of nerve and glial cells in the peripheral and central nervous systems have shown that each cell type and their corresponding morphologic compartments exhibit unique distributions of elements and water. The use of microprobe analysis has allowed us to document precisely how elements and water redistribute in morphological compartments of damaged nerve cells. Accumulating evidence from EPMA studies suggests that, rather than being an epiphenomenon, intracellular changes in diffusible elements might mediate the functional and structural consequences of neurotoxic insult. It is also evident from this research that elements other than Ca might play a pertinent role in the injury response and that changes in intraneuronal elemental composition might develop according to amore » specific temporal pattern. Therefore, rather than conducting end-point studies, longitudinal investigations are necessary to define the sequential pattern of elemental perturbation associated with a given neurotoxic event. Such research can also help identify the role of individual elements in the injury response. Future microprobe studies should be combined with measurements of ion levels to provide a comprehensive and dynamic view of elemental deregulation. 145 references.« less
Critical illness neuromuscular abnormalities.

The chronically critically ill (CCI) are a subgroup of ICU patients who require long-term mechanical ventilation. A number of these patients are admitted to ICUs because of neuromuscular disorders that have led to respiratory failure. More recently, it has been discovered that many critically ill patients develop new neuromuscular disorders secondary to their critical illness following ICU admission. These acquired disorders, labeled critical illness neuromuscular abnormalities (CINMAs) often go unrecognized, and include neuromuscular transmission defects, myopathies, acute neuropathies, or any combination of these [1]. CINMAs are a frequent component of the systemic inflammatory response system (SIRS). This association with SIRS, prolonged respiratory failure, and dependence on mechanical ventilation has led us to include CINMAs in the spectrum of abnormalities that we consider to be the syndrome of chronic critical illness. Epidemiology Two large prospective studies have evaluated the overall prevalence of neurologic dysfunction in acutely critically ill patients [2,3]. In one study, neurologic dysfunction, particularly diminished level of consciousness, was found to be a significant factor in continued ventilatory support in 41% of patients [3]. Five percent of patients admitted to a medical ICU had a primary neurologic problem, with 60% caused by ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. An additional 12.3% of patients experienced a new neurologic problem during their stay in the ICU, with metabolic encephalopathy, seizures, hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy, and stroke the most common [2].
A hierarchical model for quantifying forest variables over large heterogeneous landscapes with uncertain forest areas

We are interested in predicting one or more continuous forest variables (e.g., biomass, volume, age) at a fine resolution (e.g., pixel level) across a specified domain. Given a definition of forest/nonforest, this prediction is typically a two-step process. The first step predicts which locations are forested. The second step predicts the value of the variable for only those forested locations. Rarely is the forest/nonforest status predicted without error. However, the uncertainty in this prediction is typically not propagated through to the subsequent prediction of the forest variable of interest. Failure to acknowledge this error can result in biased estimates of forest variable totals within a domain. In response to this problem, we offer a modeling framework that will allow propagation of this uncertainty. Here we envision two latent processes generating the data. The first is a continuous spatial process while the second is a binary spatial process. The continuous spatial process controls the spatial...
Interaction of Salmonella spp. with the intestinal microbiota

Salmonella spp. are major cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Upon entry into the human host, Salmonella spp. must overcome the resistance to colonization mediated by the gut microbiota and the innate immune system. They successfully accomplish this by inducing inflammation and mechanisms of innate immune defense. Many models have been developed to study Salmonella spp. interaction with the microbiota that have helped to identify factors necessary to overcome colonization resistance and to mediate disease. Here we review the current state of studies into this important pathogen/microbiota/host interaction in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract.
Extending object-oriented databases with problem solving and visualization

Abstract By including user-defined methods in the query language, we show that an object-oriented database is capable of retrieving geometric objects based on complicated computations other than simple arithmetic comparisons. Coupled with a symbolic processor, this capability can be extended to go beyond data retrieval and include problem solving. Furthermore, the concept of graphical views is employed to incorporate visualization as an integral part of an object-oriented database, allowing a user to “see” the objects of an applications in a declarative fashion.
Studies on the distinction between uptake inhibition and release of (3H)dopamine in rat brain tissue slices.

Abstract There exists some confusion over the classification of drugs as either uptake inhibitors or releasing agents for biogenic amines. We have evaluated this problem with rat brain tissue slices (neostriatum and cortex), using [3H]dopamine and the following compounds: potassium chloride, tyramine, d-and l-amphetamine, cocaine, amantacline, desipramine. amitriptyline, nortriptyline and protriptyline. Additional experiments were performed with l -dopa and [3H]serotonin in slices from whole rat brain. Potassium chloride and tyramine. both strong releasing agents, diminished the accumulation of [3H]dopamine during uptake studies. l -Dopa also caused release of [3H]serotonin and an inhibition of [3H]serotonin accumulation. Whenever a releasing action was observed, there was always a diminution in the amount of [3H]amine accumulation and this action (expressed as a per cent effect) was at least equal in magnitude to the per cent released. On the other hand, cocaine was an example of a pure uptake inhibitor; it did not evoke a releasing action at concentrations where a powerful uptake inhibition was seen. From these data, it was possible to conclude that, in the tissue slice system, an experimentally observed release was real (that is. not materially affected by blockade of reuptake), whereas a releasing action evoked an apparent inhibition of uptake equal in magnitude to the releasing action. Before a drug can be designated as an uptake inhibitor, the dose-response curve for inhibition of [3H]amine accumulation should be distinctly to the left of the dose-response curve for release. Our data indicate that, in the neostriatum, all of the drugs studied except cocaine were pure releasing agents and that drugs previously designated as uptake inhibitors were releasing agents. In the cortex, strong inhibition of uptake without significant releasing action was evident for many of the drugs.
hnRNP A1 binds promiscuously to oligoribonucleotides: utilization of random and homo-oligonucleotides to discriminate sequence from base-specific binding

To understand the range of possible and probable A1 functions in pre-mRNA biogenesis, it is important that we quantify the relative ability (or inability) of A1 to bind high affinity RNA target sequences and/or structures. Using a fluorescence competition assay we have determined apparent binding affinities for a wide range of 20mer oligos containing putative and possible A1 targets including the high affinity 'winner' sequence identified by selection/amplification [Burd,C.G and Dreyfuss,G. (1994) EMBO J. 13, 1197-1204], AUUUA sequences found in 3'-UTRs of labile mRNAs, 5'- and 3'-splice sites and telomeric sequences. With the exception of a 20mer 'winner' sequence, all other 20mers examined bind A1 with a narrow, approximately 10-fold range of affinities extending from 3.2 x 10(6) to 4.2 x 10(7) M(-1). Studies with homo-oligomers suggest this range reflects nucleotide base rather than sequence specificity and hence, it was possible to predict reasonably accurate affinities for all other 20mers examined except for the 'winner', whose unusually high affinity of 4.0 x 10(8) M(-1) results from a unique higher order structure and sequence. Since there is no known physiological role for the 'winner' 20mer sequence, these data suggest A1 generally binds indiscriminately to all available pre-mRNA sequences. Both the large abundance of A1 in vivo and its binding properties are thus consistent with it playing a structural role in pre-mRNA biogenesis.
Practice exams make perfect: incorporating course resource use into an early warning system

Early Warning Systems (EWSs) are being developed and used more frequently to aggregate multiple sources of data and provide timely information to stakeholders about students in need of academic support. As these systems grow more complex, there is an increasing need to incorporate relevant and real-time course-related information that could be predictors of a student's success or failure. This paper presents an investigation of how to incorporate students' use of course resources from a Learning Management System (LMS) into an existing EWS. Specifically, we focus our efforts on understanding the relationship between course resource use and a student's final course grade. Using ten semesters of LMS data from a requisite Chemistry course, we categorized course resources into four categories. We used a multinomial logistic regression model with semester fixed-effects to estimate the relationship between course resource use and the likelihood that a student receives an "A" or "B" in the course versus a "C." Results suggest that students who use Exam Preparation or Lecture resources to a greater degree than their peers are more likely to receive an "A" or "B" as a final grade. We discuss the implications of our results for the further development of this EWS and EWSs in general.