cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Opioids, Alcohol, and Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs on Fracture Union

The estimated rate of fracture nonunion is between 5% and 10%, adding significant cost to the health care system. The cause of fracture nonunion is multifactorial, including the severity of the injury, patient factors resulting in aberrancies in the biology of fracture, and the side effects of pain control modalities. Minimizing surgeon-controlled factors causing nonunion is important to reduce the cost of health care and improve patient outcomes. Opioids, alcohol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been implicated as risk factors for fracture nonunion. Current literature was reviewed to examine the effects of opioids, alcohol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on fracture union.
Recent advances in transarterial embolotherapies in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be maximized with the utilization of multiple treatment modalities including transplant, surgical resection and locoregional therapies including ablative therapies and transarterial embolotherapies. Although transplant and surgical resection offer the best clinical outcomes, a limited number of patients are amenable to these surgical treatment options due to the advanced disease at presentation. Transarterial embolotherapies including conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), bland transarterial embolization (TAE), drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) and selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with Yttrium 90 (90Y) have played an increasingly important role for these patients with unresectable HCC. With a better understanding of different transarterial embolotherapies, more personalized and precise treatment should be implemented for these patients with unresectable HCC. In this review, the updated evidence on the current role of each embolotherapy in the treatment of HCC is summarized.
The Master Signifier of Galician Culture: Manuel Fraga and Undemocratic, Affective Populism

This chapter studies the work of Manuel Fraga as that of the greatest ghostly writer of recent Galician literature. In psychoanalytical terms, he is its main referent: The master signifier of the agency that regulates the symbolic order of Galicia. Literary history’s refusal to engage with Fraga has always had the effect of generating his repeated return and haunting, as he defined the continuation of Francoism by other means in Galicia, and more generally, in Spain. This chapter further argues that Fraga managed to advance a postnationalist history and theory of Galician literature and culture, which instead of highlighting the oppression inflicted by Spanish imperialism/colonialism, created a non-democratic‚ populist‚ and affective unity of Galicia’s history and future as universal (thus, reworking the Francoist “Spanish universalism through unity”). It concludes that in the 1990s and 2000s, the nationalist left in Galicia‚ due to its rationalist politics‚ did not take seriously the politics of affect in its historical complexity and thus enabled Fraga’s hegemony.
Cost of Tobacco-related Cancer Hospitalizations in the U.S., 2014

Introduction Smoking has been causally linked to 12 tobacco-related cancers: oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, liver, pancreas, larynx, lung, cervix, bladder, kidney, and acute myeloid leukemia. Tobacco-related cancers−related morbidity and mortality have been well described, but little is known about the prevalence of tobacco-related cancer hospitalizations and associated costs. This study estimates the annual number of tobacco-related cancer hospitalizations and their associated direct medical costs in the U.S. Methods This study examined data from the 2014 National Inpatient Sample, the largest publicly available all-payer inpatient care database in the U.S. The authors calculated number of hospitalizations, total costs, length of stay, and cost per stay for tobacco-related cancer hospitalizations and cancer hospitalizations not related to tobacco. Results In 2014, there were an estimated 461,295 annual tobacco-related cancer hospitalizations at a cost of $8.2 billion in the U.S. Tobacco-related cancers accounted for 45% of total cancer hospitalizations and cancer hospitalization costs. Compared with cancer hospitalizations not related to tobacco, tobacco-related cancer hospitalizations had a longer mean length of stay (6.8 vs 5.7 days). Conclusions The burden of tobacco-related cancer hospitalizations is substantial in the U.S. These findings highlight the importance of tobacco prevention and cessation efforts to decrease the burden of tobacco-related cancers in the U.S.
Assumptions needed for a valid average element pattern in a three dimensional array

Three dimensional antenna array systems are a possibility with the advances in communication technology coming in a few years. Before that time comes there should be algorithms and methods in place to take advantage of the greatly increased density of wireless elements. Taking advantage of these communication advances requires a better understanding of the complications when creating three dimensional antenna arrays. One area of research that is needed is the bounding assumptions that will allows for an average element pattern to be applied to all elements in a three dimensional array system. This paper discusses the considerations that need to be made for these assumptions.
Further Classification for Node-Positive Gastric Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

For gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (GNEN), the current AJCC lymph node (N) stage classifies patients into N0/N1 disease (with/without locoregional nodal metastases); however, this does not account for the number of involved nodes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the number of involved locoregional nodes among resected GNEN. The National Cancer Database (2004–2014) was queried for GNEN patients who had undergone partial/total gastrectomy with known nodal status. Nearest-neighborhood grouping was used to identify survival clusters by number of metastatic nodes and to use these groupings to construct a new N classification (pN). External validation was performed using the SEER database. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models were used to assess the prognostic strength of the pN classification. One thousand two hundred seventy-five patients met study inclusion criteria. Patients with 1–6 positive nodes (pN1) demonstrated a distinct survival pattern from patients with > 6 positive nodes (pN2) as well as those with no positive nodes (N0) {5-year OS N0: 80% (95% CI 77–83%) vs. 65% (95% CI 61–69%) vs. 43% (95% CI 33–53%), p 6 positive nodes).
A top-k analysis using multi-level association rule mining for autism treatments

Association rule mining is based on associations of attribute values in a database. To facilitate finding meaningful rules, we segment the database by a categorization of database records based on a taxonomy on one of the attribute value sets. To test the value of this approach we have applied it to a large database about treatment impacts on autistic children. The segmented analyses lead to interestingly, different results from the analyses done without segmentation.
Developments in Computer-Based IPM Extension Delivery and Biological Monitoring System Design

Application of computer technology in agriculture and especially for integrated pest management (IPM) is increasing nationally in the United States. This is reflected by increased research to identify more efficient means of obtaining biological information on crops, pests and associated organisms (e.g natural enemies of pests); integrating, interpreting and forecasting the possible meaning of these data for IPM and delivering this information rapidly to decision-makers in the field. Pest management simulation models are under construction and validation by research personnel on a nation-wide scale (Ruesink 1976, Tummala et al 1976, Huffaker and Croft 1976). New extension scouting or biological monitoring systems for pests have been established in almost all agricultural states and on a variety of crops (Good 1977). Several of these monitoring programs have been coupled with computer-based, extension delivery systems on an experimental basis (e.g Giese et al 1975, Croft et al 1976a). Implementation-research groups in many agricultural states have given a high priority to developing computer-based systems for IPM over the next 10-year period (e.g Michigan, Bath et al 1977; Indiana, Giese et al 1975; New York, Barton 1977; California, Riedl and Allen 1978, Gutierrez 1978).
MORPHINE AND OXYMORPHONE ACT AS PARTIAL AGONISTS ON THE FIELD STIMULATED RAT VAS DEFERENS

A series of opioids have been used to study the opioid receptor in rat vas deferens. β-Endorphin, etorphine, sufentanil and enkephalin behave as full agonists in this preparation. Morphine and oxymorphone act as weak partial agonists and competitively block the inhibitory effects of the full agonists. Other opiates like desomorphine, ketobemidone, α-(+)-N-allyl-normetazocine and ketocyclazocine, showed little or no agonist activity, also competitively antagonized β-endorphin.
Physics and Mathematics in the German States, 1830–1870

By 1830 in the German States the new opportunities to make careers within the sciences and mathematics were secure within the reformed universities. Teaching was no longer the only expected activity of faculty. Research had become a defining quality for appointment to and promotion within universities across the German states. This ideal was complicated by the justification for continued state support for these renewed institutions, the training and certification of future teachers in the lower echelons of the education systems within each state.1
Basic Lighting Worktext for Film and Video

Basic Lighting Worktext for Film and Video guides the film and video student through a series of readings, exercises and projects designed to provide the fundamentals of light science. In addition to up-to-date descriptions of equipment and tips on how to use it properly, the book provides numerous set-ups that illustrate the techniques and thoughts behind proper studio and location lighting. From this book, you will learn:* The fundamentals of light and electricity in film* The fine distinction of lighting for video versus lighting for film* How to identify and filter sources such as daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, arc, HNI and industrial discharge lamps* The use of lensed and open-faced lighting fixtures* How to modify with barndoors, scrims, snoots, nets, cookies, and other accessories* Variations on the basic three-point lighting setup* The duties of each member of a lighting unit* How to light night exteriors, day interiors, and campfires* High-key, low-key, and modulated value lighting* How to scout locations, plan lighting, plots, and pre-rig sets
Non-Gaussian CD distribution characterization for DRAM application in EUV lithography

We evaluate through simulations and experimental data the impact of process non-idealities with a particular attention to mask CD uniformity for 44 nm pitch DRAM contact hole array. Several millions of contact holes are simulated with PROLITH after full-physical stochastic process calibration. Process Windows, LCDU and failure rates are compared at nominal conditions, assuming no variation in process parameters vs. the stochastic process variation obtained by inclusion of perturbations of process parameters. The simulations are repeated including Gaussian distributed mask CD variations. Skewness, kurtosis, and failure rates are calculated..
Effect of Activation Site Density on Copper Encapsulation of MWCNTs by Electroless Deposition

Importance of the activation site density on final encapsulation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with copper was investigated in this study. MWCNTs, sensitized with tin and activated with silver, were used as precursors to prepare copper-decorated nanotubes. The effect of activation bath pH was found to be critical to control the density of silver-activation sites and to produce uniform encapsulation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with copper in the subsequent electroless deposition method. The morphology of the copper decorated nanotubes was studied using Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS).
2D Tungsten Disulfide Sheets for Ultralight, Flexible Photovoltaics

2D nanomaterials have potential to cut the weight of photovoltaics by more than a factor of 100. Here, we explore the potential for tungsten disulfide to serve as a platform for high-efficiency, flexible photovoltaic devices.
Trauma-Informed Care: A Focus on African American Men

African American males experience high levels of violence-related trauma. They lead all racial groups in fatal and nonfatal violence-related injury. Their responses to trauma may be mediated by personal experiences and/or ecological exposures to prejudice or inequality. Caring for these men encompasses some unique challenges, for example, they may have less overall access to mental health care, may be less likely to seek such resources, and may have lower retention rates in treatment. For this reason, they may present more commonly in general medical/primary care settings, often with physical complaints. Trauma-informed care offers a hopeful approach to caring for African American men and could address disparities in mental health treatment through robust individual provider-patient relationships and health system adaptations that are comprehensive, culturally sensitive, and work to understand institutional relationships with the surrounding community. Interventions that are culturally sensitive and multimodal are the most effective. As the existing literature tends to focus on pediatric and youth settings, this chapter will provide perspective on treating adults.
Shapes and Fall Orientations of Ice Particle Aggregates

AbstractTesting the often-made assumption that ice particle aggregates (snowflakes) are well represented by oblate spheroids, ellipsoid fits are applied to aggregate images. An algorithm to retriev...
Eliminate Category I Errors

The first two Category I errors we will discuss are run-on sentences (OFI #5) and sentence fragments (OFI #6). Figure 11.1 displays these two errors along with the other category II errors on the OFI wheel.
Chitosan coated liposomes (CCL) containing triamcinolone acetonide for sustained delivery: A potential topical treatment for posterior segment diseases

Drug delivery to the posterior eye is limited by epithelial and mucosal barriers limiting the topical administration of drugs leading to invasive modes of repeated long-term painful administration of drugs. Several constructs of liposomes have been prepared to counter this challenge yet are often limited by size and surface charge resulting in poor encapsulation efficiency, low retention time, and poor permeability. In the present study, chitosan coated liposomes (CCL) were prepared to address these challenges. Conventional liposomes encapsulating Triamcinolone Acetonide (TA) were compared with their chitosan coated counterpart for drug loading and release studies. CCL showed a higher encapsulation efficiency (74%), and a highly positive surface charge (+41.1Mv), increased retention time and sustained release. Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) rat models were generated to assess the efficiency of CCLs as nanocarriers in drug delivery. Significant amount of TA was found to be present and retaining in the eye after fifteen days of treatment with CCL, as shown by HPLC analysis. The results showed successful penetration of the construct via corneal mucosal barrier and its accumulation in vitreous body. The analysis shows that this chitosan based liposomal construct can be employed as a potential topical delivery system for treating posterior segment diseases.
Towards Enhanced Chlorine Control: Mathematical Modeling for Free Chlorine Kinetics During Fresh-cut Carrot, Cabbage and Lettuce Washing

Abstract In this study, we developed a novel produce-specific mechanistic model to predict free chlorine (FC) dynamics during washing of disk-cut carrots, cut cabbage, and cut iceberg lettuce, in 3 L and 50–100 L tanks, and of shredded iceberg lettuce in 3200 L pilot-plant trials. Ranges for two key parameters: β (L mg−1 min−1) the apparent reaction rate constant of FC with produce constituents, and γ , the fraction of the increase of chemical oxygen demand (COD) contributing to the reaction, were determined at the 3 L scale. For disk carrots β ∈ [ 0.05 , 0.09 ] and γ ∈ [ 0.054 , 0.078 ] , for cut cabbage β ∈ [ 0.05 , 0.10 ] and γ ∈ [ 0.09 , 0.12 ] , and for cut iceberg lettuce β ∈ [ 0.03 , 0.06 ] and γ ∈ [ 0.07 , 0.14 ] . Taking values from these ranges the model was able to consistently predict experimental FC dynamics (decay and replenishment), indicating robustness of the apparent reaction rate constants across scales. Comparing sequential changes in COD with turbidity and total dissolved solids (TDS) relative to produce washing rates, our results also illustrate that turbidity and TDS may not be reliable predictors of FC decay rates across produce types and experimental scales. In concert with future experiments, these models could serve as important tools aimed at validating FC compliance within operational limits as well as guiding large-scale commercial experiments focused on improving chlorine management strategies relevant for industry.
Loss of presenilin 2 age-dependently alters susceptibility to acute seizures and kindling acquisition

Abstract Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) experience seizures at higher rates than the general population of that age, suggesting an underexplored role of hyperexcitability in AD. Genetic variants in presenilin (PSEN) 1 and 2 genes lead to autosomal dominant early-onset AD (ADAD); patients with PSEN gene variants also report seizures. Pharmacological control of seizures in AD may be disease-modifying. Preclinical efficacy of FDA-approved antiseizure drugs (ASDs) is well defined in young adult rodents; however, the efficacy of ASDs in aged rodents with chronic seizures is less clear. The mechanism by which ADAD genes lead to AD remains unclear, and even less studied is the pathogenesis of epilepsy in AD. PSEN variants generally all result in a biochemical loss of function ( De Strooper, 2007 ). We herein determined whether well-established models of acute and chronic seizure could be used to explore the relationship between AD genes and seizures through investigating whether loss of normal PSEN2 function age-dependently influenced susceptibility to seizures and/or corneal kindling acquisition. PSEN2 knockout (KO) and age-matched wild-type (WT) mice were screened from 2- to 10-months-old to establish age-dependent focal seizure threshold. Additionally, PSEN2 KO and WT mice aged 2- and 8-months-old underwent corneal kindling such that mice were aged 3- and 9-months old at the beginning of ASD efficacy testing. We then defined the dose-dependent efficacy of mechanistically distinct ASDs on kindled seizures of young versus aged mice to better understand the applicability of corneal kindling to real-world use for geriatric patients. PSEN2 KO mice demonstrated early-life reductions in seizure threshold. However, kindling acquisition was delayed in 2-month-old PSEN2 KO versus WT mice. Young male WT mice took 24.3 ± 1.3 (S.E.M.) stimulations to achieve kindling criterion, whereas age-matched PSEN2 KO male mice took 41.2 ± 1.1 stimulations (p
A novel PARD3B-NUTM1 fusion in an aggressive primary CNS embryonal tumor in a young adult

Author(s): Ko, Kyungmin; Kitani, Takashi; Harris, Brent T; Anaizi, Amjad N; Solomon, David; Perry, Arie; Toretsky, Jeffrey; Ozdemirli, Metin
Reachability Set Generation Using Hybrid Relation Compatible Saturation

Generating the state space of any finite discrete-state system using symbolic algorithms like saturation requires the use of decision diagrams or compatible structures for encoding its reachability set and transition relations. For systems that can be formally expressed using ordinary Petri Nets (PN), implicit relations, a static alternative to decision diagram-based representation of transition relations, can significantly improve the performance of saturation. However, in practice, some systems require more general models, such as self-modifying Petri nets, which cannot currently utilize implicit relations and thus use decision diagrams that are repeatedly rebuilt to accommodate the changing bounds of the system variables, potentially leading to overhead in saturation algorithm. This work introduces a hybrid representation for transition relations, that combines decision diagrams and implicit relations, to reduce the rebuilding overheads of the saturation algorithm for a general class of models. Experiments on several benchmark models across different tools demonstrate the efficiency of this representation.
Bayesian Inference Is Unaffected by Selection: Fact or Fiction?

The problem considered is that of making inferences about the value of a parameter vector θ based on the value of an observable random vector y that is subject to selection of the form y ∈ S (for a...
Automatic greenhouse pest recognition based on multiple color space features

Recognition and counting of greenhouse pests are important for monitoring and forecasting pest population dynamics. This study used image processing techniques to recognize and count whiteflies and thrips on a sticky trap located in a greenhouse environment. The digital images of sticky traps were collected using an image-acquisition system under different greenhouse conditions. If a single color space is used, it is difficult to segment the small pests correctly because of the detrimental effects of non-uniform illumination in complex scenarios. Therefore, a method that first segments object pests in two color spaces using the Prewitt operator in I component of the hue-saturation-intensity (HSI) color space and the Canny operator in the B component of the Lab color space was proposed. Then, the segmented results for the two-color spaces were summed and achieved 91.57% segmentation accuracy. Next, because different features of pests contribute differently to the classification of pest species, the study extracted multiple features (e.g., color and shape features) in different color spaces for each segmented pest region to improve the recognition performance. Twenty decision trees were used to form a strong ensemble learning classifier that used a majority voting mechanism and obtains 95.73% recognition accuracy. The proposed method is a feasible and effective way to process greenhouse pest images. The system accurately recognized and counted pests in sticky trap images captured under real greenhouse conditions. Keywords: ensemble learning classifier, greenhouse sticky trap, automated pest recognition and counting, HSI and Lab color spaces, multiple color space features DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20211402.5098 Citation: Yang Z K, Li W Y, Li M, Yang X T. Automatic greenhouse pest recognition based on multiple color space features. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2021; 14(2): 188–195.
Navigating Still Waters of Infertility: Role of Goal Features in Coping with a Thwarted Goal

The infertility experience is often surrounded by frustration and discouragement associated with the thwarted goal to have a child. Though research has identified commonly used strategies to cope with infertility, this study is the first to examine how different goal attributes and processes associated with the experience of infertility relate to coping strategy use and psychological distress. Women (N = 353) recruited from online support forums reported on the nature of their goal to have a child, their psychological distress, and their use of strategies to cope with the failure to achieve that goal. Women reported high striving toward a goal high in importance and commitment, coupled with high goal–related stress and feeling that achievement is blocked. Consistent with the notion that coping strategy use is specific to the features of the experience, no single goal attribute nor combination of attributes consistently accounted for coping strategy use, suggesting that the latter may be specific to the cognitions and processes of pursuit of the goal to have a child. With one exception, perceptions of impediment were better predictors of psychological distress than any level of perceived facilitators of goal pursuit, positing potential targets for future psychological interventions. Understanding how women cope with infertility may require a detailed conceptualization of their goal to have a child. In the present sample, dynamic processes and coping strategies that otherwise detract from success were generally beneficial by providing alternatives to the pursuit of a thwarted goal.
Community-Based Participatory Research During the COVID-19 Crisis: Lessons for Partnership Resiliency

This reflective essay explores how the strengths and even presumed limitations of community based participatory and action research are critical assets to building and sustaining resilient research partnerships before, during, and after particularly difficult times. After highlighting key concepts from the boundary spanning and resiliency literatures, we outline how four deep-seated principles of community based participatory research (CBPR) contribute to building partnership and community resiliency. We draw upon our decades of experience across a wide range of both rural and urban partnerships to share examples of how these concepts are applied in actual research situations such as during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how they sustain and strengthen partnerships and community impact.
Original-Intent Originalism, Semantic Instability, and the Impact of Linguistics on American Constitutionalism: A Reply to Professor Boykin

In his recent article, "Original-Intent Originalism: A Reformulation and Defense," Professor Scott Boykin argues that original-intent originalism is the proper interpretive method for deciding constitutional issues. While Boykin argues several points, all of them can be seen as a view of the nature of language that was known but rejected by the Founders when drafting the Constitution. Boykin’s erroneous linguistic argument for constitutional interpretation relies on Hirsch, Wittgenstein, Schleiermacher, and Searle, all of whom wrote their philosophies in the 20th century. Boykin’s argument on interpreting the language of the Constitution is flawed and anachronistic because it applies 20th-century linguistic theory to an 18th-century document. To properly solve the Constitution’s interpretive problem, it is imperative to understand what the Framers understood regarding the nature of language at the time they wrote the Constitution. Did they believe the meaning of words is fixed and static, as Boykin argues, or did they believe that language changes over time? This article will demonstrate that the drafters were heavily influenced by 18th-century political philosophers Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Charles de Secondat, Baron of Montesquieu, all of whom wrote on the changing nature of language. Furthermore, the drafters were also influenced by English jurist William Blackstone and his Commentaries on the Laws of England, in which, buried deep in its many pages, Blackstone articulates his view of the changing nature of legal language. These writers were correct in their estimation of the semantic instability of language, whose meaning changes over time and with the circumstances. In other words, the Founders were influenced by this changing nature of language and intentionally drafted the Constitution in imprecise terms to avoid the idea that language is fixed and static. It is through this "original" intent of the fluid meaning of language that the Constitution should be construed.
What is Radio Astronomy

Radio astronomy is defined and a short review of certain types of radio telescopes from single dishes to huge arrays is offered to give a sense of what radio astronomers do and what they observe.
Theory of stereopsis.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the theory and mechanisms of stereopsis. The view of the stereoptic mechanism that has emerged is one of a cerebral system for analyzing spatial information by integrating a wide variety of both binocular and monocular cues existing in the images seen by the two eyes. Its most potent source of depth cues is the disparity of positions of details in the two images, although many other features such as perspective and motion of objects in the scene also contribute greatly. The role of left-right positional disparities will be central to much of discussion, both because of the intrinsically large part they play in stereopsis and because they constitute the only type of depth information present in many electron microscopic situations, especially in the viewing of micrographs of tissue sections taken in the transmission electron microscope. The limiting angular disparities for breakaway and refusion prove to depend critically on the character of the object being examined and on their direction relative to the vector joining the observer's eyes, which is as the horizontal axis.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods

Since its inception in 1992, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has become an indispensible tool for studying cognition in both the healthy and dysfunctional brain. FMRI monitors changes in the oxygenation of brain tissue resulting from altered metabolism consequent to a task-based evoked neural response or from spontaneous fluctuations in neural activity in the absence of conscious mentation (the “resting state”). Task-based studies have revealed neural correlates of a large number of important cognitive processes, while fMRI studies performed in the resting state have demonstrated brain-wide networks that result from brain regions with synchronized, apparently spontaneous activity. In this article, we review the methods used to acquire and analyze fMRI signals.
Light-scattering studies of the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex from escherichia coli: I. Characterization of the self-association of the complex

Abstract The self-association of Escherichia coli α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDC) purified by a column Chromatographic technique, was characterized by light-scattering photometry. The complex adopts a solution conformation somewhat larger than that observed in the electron microscope. The evidence suggests a nonideal indefinite self-association model for KGDC in KCl, phosphate buffer. The KGDC monomer has a molecular charge of about −3 × 10 2 at neutral pH. The self-association is promoted by increasing KCl concentrations, pH (in the range from 6.3 to 7.4) and temperature (from 20 to 30°C). The effects of pH changes suggest a release of protons during the self-association and a minor ‘preferential’ interaction of phosphate ions. For the association of one monomer to the aggregate at neutral pH and 25°C. Δ G ° = −7.8 kcal mol −1 . Δ H ° = 24 kcal mol −1 and Δ S ° = 1.1 × 10 2 cal mol −1 K −1 . These data indicate that hydrophobic interactions drive the association. Thermodynamically, the self-association of KGDC is a complex phenomenon and may serve to stabilize the enzyme complex in solution.
The GAP Online LGBT Mental Health Curriculum

The authors describe the development and publication of an online curriculum to teach psychiatry trainees about important topics in LGBT mental health (www.aglp.org/gap). The curriculum was written by members of the LGBT Committee of the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP, www.ourgap.org). This paper outlines the history and mission of GAP and the history of the GAP LGBT Committee. The rationale for the curriculum and its structure are discussed, as well as suggestions for its use.
The homology of tropical varieties

Given a closed subvarietyX of an algebraic torusT, the associated tropical variety is a polyhedral fan in the space of 1-parameter subgroups of the torus which describes the behaviour of the subvariety at infinity. We show that the link of the origin has only top rational homology if a genericity condition is satisfied.
Micellar Catalysis in Organic Reactions: Kinetic and Mechanistic Implications

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the importance of micellar catalysis in relation to mechanistic physical–organic and bio-organic chemistry, to enable to design meaningful experiments in the area, and to guide one through the abundant literature of surfactants and solubilization. Although solubilization by surface active agents has found considerable utility in pharmaceutical and industrial processes, the attention is primarily focussed on the mechanistic aspects of micellar catalyzed organic reactions. The subject is in its rapidly growing infancy, and is scattered and involves interdisciplinary collaboration among colloid, electro, structural, biological, pharmaceutical and organic chemists. The effects of many charged macromolecules, such as polymers, on ionic reactions can be qualitatively predicted on the basis of simple electrostatic considerations analogous to those involved in Hartley's rule.
Novel EMC debugging methodologies for high-power converters

Without a need to power up a system, novel debugging strategies are proposed in this paper to characterize the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) features of power converters. By externally injecting switching transients to key spots, the noise on various locations can be monitored. Then, by correlating the injected signal to the observed noise, the noise distribution mechanisms can be examined, and the EMC problems under full power operation can be predicted accordingly. Since the signal source is working at much lower voltage and power, and the system tested need not be functional, the tests can be conducted in much earlier development stages, with much less risk and much more freedom. Thorough test results are included in this paper. The case of a traction drive is discussed.
Culture: A Fundamental Context for the Stress and Coping Paradigm

The field of stress and coping emerged more than three decades ago from the recognition of the dynamic interaction between person and environment (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Moos, 2002). Over the years, researchers developed a system of objectifying and quantifying people’s environment, such as counting the number of major life events or daily hassles that occurred in the past month. Unfortunately, this system of measuring the environment resulted in acontextualizing the stress and coping research paradigm as it does not give much consideration to the meaning of the events that occur in an idiosyncratic life context. In recent years, the field has been trying to introduce more realism to stress and coping research, as the acontextual research of the last two decades yielded few solid findings that made a difference in people’s lives (Somerfield & McCrae, 2000). One of the most important neglected contexts is culture. We believe that culture is a fundamental context that helps to shape both the individual and the environment. There have been growing efforts to examine cross-cultural variations in stress and coping, but these efforts are fragmented and primarily descriptive, and usually lack an overarching conceptual framework. The aim of our overview is to help shape future research to address the generalizability of current models of stress and coping across cultural and ethnic groups. Here we describe a conceptual framework based on Moos’ transactional model (1984; 2002) that encompasses the role of culture in stress and coping. Using this conceptual framework, we illustrate how culture serves as a pervasive context for the stress and coping paradigm, and present some empirical evidence on this issue. We conclude by addressing several key issues and assumptions of the current stress and coping paradigm that may have contributed to conceptual confusion and slowed the progress of cross-cultural investigations, and we offer ways to solve these problems.
Managing High-Tech Capacity Expansion via Reservation Contracts

We study capacity reservation contracts between a high-tech manufacturer (supplier) and her oem customer (buyer). The supplier and the buyer are partners who enter a “design-win” agreement to develop the product, and who share the stochastic demand information. To encourage the supplier for more aggressive capacity expansion, the buyer reserves capacity upfront by paying a deductible fee. As capacity expansion demonstrates diseconomy of scale in this context, we assume convex capacity costs. We show that as the buyer’s revenue margin decreases, the supplier faces a sequence of four profit scenarios with decreasing desirability. We examine the effects of market size and demand variability to the contract conditions. We propose two channel coordination contracts, and discuss how such contracts can be tailored for situations where the supplier has the option of not complying with the contract, and when the buyer’s demand information is only partially updated during the supplier’s capacity leadtime.
Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries in Athletes

Medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprains are tension injuries to the medial ligamentous structures of the knee. They are usually the result of an acute blow to the lateral aspect of the knee. The diagnosis can usually be made on the basis of a characteristic clinical examination. The treatment of these injuries has evolved over several years. Current recommended treatment for isolated MCL sprains is lightweight support and an aggressive early functional rehabilitation programme. In combined injuries, cruciate ligaments are usually surgically reconstructed and the MCL treated non-operatively. Although many braces have been developed to prevent MCL sprains, their effectiveness is uncertain.
A Symmetrical Exponential Open Queue Network with Blocking and Feedback

The exponential open queue network model studied here consists of n symmetrical queues in parallel served by independent first-level servers in tandem with a second-level server. Blocking of the flow of units through a first-level server occurs each time the server completes a service. The server remains blocked until its blocking unit completes its service at the second-level server. An approximate expression of the probability distribution of the number of blocked first-level servers conditioned upon a service completion of a first-level server is obtained. This expression compares well with simulation data. Based on this distribution, an approximate expression of the queue-length probability distribution is derived assuming a processor-sharing type of service. The exact condition for stability of the queue network is also derived. Some potential applications are discussed, and a quantitative evaluation of the model is given through a case study.
Role of the glycolytic protein, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, in normal cell function and in cell pathology

The glycolytic protein glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) appeared to be an archtypical protein of limited excitement. However, independent studies from a number of different laboratories reported a variety of diverse biological properties of the GAPDH protein. As a membrane protein, GAPDH functions in endocytosis; in the cytoplasm, it is involved in the translational control of gene expression; in the nucleus, it functions in nuclear tRNA export, in DNA replication, and in DNA repair. The intracellular localization of GAPDH may be dependent on the proliferative state of the cell. Recent studies identified a role for GAPDH in neuronal apoptosis. GAPDH gene expression was specifically increased during programmed neuronal cell death. Transfection of neuronal cells with antisense GAPDH sequences inhibited apoptosis. Lastly, GAPDH may be directly involved in the cellular phenotype of human neurodegenerative disorders, especially those characterized at the molecular level by the expansion of CAG repeats. In this review, the current status of ongoing GAPDH studies are described (with the exception of its unique oxidative modification by nitric oxide). Consideration of future directions are suggested.
Conversion of 5‐aminolevulinate synthase into a more active enzyme by linking the two subunits: Spectroscopic and kinetic properties

The two active sites of dimeric 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme, are located on the subunit interface with contribution of essential amino acids from each subunit. Linking the two subunits into a single polypeptide chain dimer (2XALAS) yielded an enzyme with an approximate sevenfold greater turnover number than that of wild-type ALAS. Spectroscopic and kinetic properties of 2XALAS were investigated to explore the differences in the coenzyme structure and kinetic mechanism relative to those of wild-type ALAS that confer a more active enzyme. The absorption spectra of both ALAS and 2XALAS had maxima at 410 and 330 nm, with a greater A(410)/A(330) ratio at pH approximately 7.5 for 2XALAS. The 330 nm absorption band showed an intense fluorescence at 385 nm but not at 510 nm, indicating that the 330 nm absorption species is the substituted aldamine rather than the enolimine form of the Schiff base. The 385 nm emission intensity increased with increasing pH with a single pK of approximately 8.5 for both enzymes, and thus the 410 and 330 nm absorption species were attributed to the ketoenamine and substituted aldamine, respectively. Transient kinetic analysis of the formation and decay of the quinonoid intermediate EQ(2) indicated that, although their rates were similar in ALAS and 2XALAS, accumulation of this intermediate was greater in the 2XALAS-catalyzed reaction. Collectively, these results suggest that ketoenamine is the active form of the coenzyme and forms a more prominent coenzyme structure in 2XALAS than in ALAS at pH approximately 7.5.
A tandem mass spectrometry study of the role of electronically excited states in the collision-induced dissociation of the hexafluorobenzene molecular cation

Abstract Dissociation of hexafluorobenzene cations via C–F bond cleavage following collisional activation with helium and argon has been studied at 1–4 keV (nominal) laboratory kinetic energies. When hexafluorobenzene cations are formed by 70 eV electrons, the kinetic energy distributions of the fragment ion, C6F5+, differ dramatically in that helium collisions proceed via highly endothermic channel whereas argon collisions result in a highly exothermic channel. Both processes are accompanied by a common dissociation pathway, which is nearly thermoneutral. With low energy electron ionization of C6F6 and argon collision gas the superelastic peak disappears and an endothermic process analogous to that resulting from helium collisional activation appears. These experimental observations suggest that 70 eV electrons result in the formation of hexafluorobenzene cations in electronically excited state(s) that have radiative lifetimes exceeding 20 μs. The exothermic process corresponds to energy release of ∼10 eV into translational mode during the collision and the endothermic process corresponds to transfer of ∼17 eV energy from translational to internal modes. Since the threshold for dissociation is 7 eV, we suggest that both endothermic and exothermic channels proceed via the same electronically excited hypersurface.
Summer syncope syndrome.

Abstract Background Antihypertensive therapy is associated with significant relative risk reductions in the incidence of heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke. However, a common adverse reaction to antihypertensive therapy is orthostatic hypotension, dehydration, and syncope. We propose that continued use of antihypertensive medications at the same dosage during the dry summer months in patients living in the Sonoran desert leads to an increase in syncopal episodes. Methods All hypertensive patients who were treated with medications and admitted with International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code diagnosis of syncope were included. They were defined as "cases" if they presented during the summer months (May to September 2012) and "controls" if they presented during the winter months (November 2012 to March 2013). The primary outcome measure was the presence of clinical dehydration. The statistical significance was determined using the 2-sided Fisher exact test. Results A total of 496 patients with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code diagnosis of syncope were screened, and 179 patients were included in the final analysis. In patients taking antihypertensive medications, there were a significantly higher number of cases of syncope secondary to dehydration or orthostatic hypotension during the summer months (45%) compared with the winter months (26%) ( P = .01). The incidence of syncope was significantly higher in older patients (63%) compared with younger individuals (37%) during the summer months. Conclusions The incidence of syncope increases during the summer months among people who reside in a dry desert climate and who are taking antihypertensive medications. On the basis of our findings, we describe an easily preventable condition that we define as the "Summer Syncope Syndrome." We recommend judicious reduction of antihypertensive therapy in patients residing in a hot and dry climate, particularly during the summer months.
Purification of a progesterone receptor from rabbit uterus

Abstract A progesterone receptor has been purified to homogeneity from rabbit uterus by steroid affinity chromatography. The receptor was obtained in 5% yield, with a specific activity for [3H]progesterone binding of 14,580 pmol/mg protein. The pure receptor migrated as a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis, with a MW of 70,000. Progesterone binding to the receptor was heat labile and was displaced by an excess of R5020. Photoaffinity labeling of the pure receptor with [3H]R5020 corresponded to the major photoaffinity labeled species in crude cytosol.
Purchasing demand information in a stochastic-demand inventory system

This paper studies a periodic-review, stochastic-demand inventory system in which the manager has the opportunity each period to purchase information about demand in the upcoming period before deciding how much product to order. We analyze the information-purchase and product-replenishment decisions for both perfect and imperfect demand information. Under perfect information, we provide a characterization of the optimal policy for both finite and infinite horizon problems, and also establish useful managerial insights into the behavior of the system. We show that future demand information becomes less valuable at higher inventory levels, and more valuable when longer horizons remain. When the initial inventory is zero, solving the perfect-information problem reduces to computing a single quantity, for which we provide a closed form expression. As a result, this problem is shown to be equivalent to one in which the manager purchases perfect information over the entire horizon with a single lump-sum payment at the beginning of the horizon. Our analytical and numerical results demonstrate that most of the insights from the perfect-information scenario carry over to the imperfect-information case.
Automated determination of pulmonary artery pulsatility during transesophageal echocardiography.

Abstract In conclusion, transesophageal echocardiography and automatic border detection can be used for the rapid assessment of proximal PA pulsatility, a measure that may prove useful in the clinical assessment of patients with congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, or both.
The Making of I-BET762, a BET Bromodomain Inhibitor Now in Clinical Development

Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins belong to a class of proteins collectively called epigenetic “readers”. BET bromodomains have emerged as promising drug targets for treatment of cancers, inflammatory diseases, and other medical conditions. GlaxoSmithKline scientists have successfully optimized a class of benzodiazepines as inhibitors of BET bromodomains, without any prior knowledge of identified molecular targets. It thus is possible to hit a target without aiming at it. The optimized lead compound I-BET762 is currently being evaluated in a phase I clinical trial for treatment of human cancer.