cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nocturnal systemic hypotension increases the risk of glaucoma progression.

Objective The objective of this prospective, longitudinal study of patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) was to determine whether patients with nocturnal hypotension are at greater risk for visual field (VF) loss over 12 months than those without nocturnal hypotension. Design Prospective, longitudinal study. Participants Consecutive patients with NTG with at least 5 prior VF tests were screened for eligibility. Methods The baseline evaluation assessed demographic and clinical characteristics, covering systemic comorbid conditions, including systemic hypertension. All oral and ophthalmologic medications were recorded. A complete ophthalmological examination was performed at baseline and follow-up. Patients had their blood pressure (BP) monitored every 30 minutes for 48 hours with an ambulatory recording device at baseline and 6 and 12 months. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was based on the global rates of VF progression by linear regression of the mean VF threshold sensitivity over time (decibels/year). Results Eighty-five patients with NTG (166 eyes; mean age, 65 years; 67% were women) were included. Of the 85 patients, 29% had progressed in the 5 VFs collected before study enrollment. The nocturnal mean arterial pressure (MAP) was compared with the daytime MAP. Multivariate analysis showed that the total time that sleep MAP was 10 mmHg below the daytime MAP was a significant predictor of subsequent VF progression ( P Conclusions Cumulative nocturnal hypotension predicted VF loss in this cohort. Our data suggest that the duration and magnitude of decrease in nocturnal blood pressure below the daytime MAP, especially pressures that are 10 mmHg lower than daytime MAP, predict progression of NTG. Low nocturnal blood pressure, whether occurring spontaneously or as a result of medications, may lead to worsening of VF defects.
The impact of race on outcomes of patients with early stage uterine endometrioid carcinoma

Abstract Objectives The purpose of the present study was to determine whether racial disparity exists between African American (AA) and non-African American (NAA) patients with uterine endometrioid carcinoma who received similar multidisciplinary management. Methods We identified 766 patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma 2009 FIGO stages I–II who underwent hysterectomy. Patients were divided into two groups; AA and NAA. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) for two groups were calculated. Results Median follow-up was 5.1years. 27% were AA and 73% were NAA. All patients underwent hysterectomy and oophorectomy. 80% had peritoneal cytology examination and 69% underwent lymphadenectomy. AA patients were more likely to have higher grade tumors, and higher incidence of lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI). Although the two groups were balanced with regards to surgical staging and adjuvant treatment received, the 5-year RFS and DSS were significantly lower in AA compared to NAA patients (91% vs 84%, p=0.030; 95% vs 88%, p=0.011, respectively). Overall survival was not significantly different between the two groups. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for other prognostic factors, race (AA vs NAA) was not a significant predictor of outcome. Grade 3 tumors and the presence of LVSI were the only two independent predictors of RFS and DSS with p≤0.001 and p≤0.001, respectively. Conclusion In this large hospital-based study, AA race was associated with a higher incidence of adverse pathological features and worse recurrence-free and disease-specific survival. However, on multivariate analysis race was not an independent prognostic factor. Further studies are needed to elucidate possible underlying molecular mechanisms for these poorer outcomes.
FRIENDSHIP FORMATION AND BOYS’ ROUGH AND TUMBLE PLAY: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

(2000). FRIENDSHIP FORMATION AND BOYS’ ROUGH AND TUMBLE PLAY: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education: Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 331-336.
Experience with endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in nonagenarians.

PURPOSE To report a single-institution experience with endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR) in nonagenarians. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of all patients >90 years old undergoing EVAR over an 8-year period at a major academic medical center. The patient population was investigated for the presence of various comorbidities, initial aneurysm size, successful aneurysm exclusion, perioperative complications, disposition, endoleaks, secondary interventions, and overall survival. RESULTS EVAR was performed in 18 male nonagenarians (mean age 92.4 years, range 90- 95). Mean aneurysm diameter was 7.3 cm (range 5.5-9.8). The cohort had an average of 3.2 comorbid conditions. Sixteen patients were treated electively, while 2 patients underwent emergent repair for contained rupture and bleeding aortoenteric fistula, respectively. Immediate technical success was 100%. Perioperative local/vascular complications occurred in 4 (22%) patients. Perioperative systemic complications occurred in 3 (17%) patients. There were 2 (11%) perioperative (<30 days) deaths. Three (17%) patients required secondary interventions. Mean survival in patients who expired during the follow-up period beyond the first 30 days was 34 months (range 8-78). Mean survival in 8 patients who are still alive is 17.4 months (range 9-39). CONCLUSION Endovascular AAA repair in nonagenarians is associated with a high rate of technical success and relatively low morbidity rate. Survival times following successful hospital discharge are significant. Suitable patients over 90 years of age may benefit from an endovascular AAA repair.
Development of a high-throughput screening-amenable assay for human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors.

Abstract Introduction: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) plays a pivotal role in the repair of DNA strand breaks. However, excessive activation of PARP causes a rapid depletion of intracellular energy, leading to cell death. Inhibitors of PARP have been shown to reduce infarct size in animal models of myocardial ischemia. PARP inhibitors may have potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of myocardial ischemia, stroke, head trauma, and neurodegenerative disease, and as an adjunct therapy with chemotherapeutic agents/radiation in cancer therapy. Methods: Assays reported in the literature and commercially available PARP assay kits are labor-intensive, use radioactive reagents, use antibodies, and are not readily amenable to Hadamard transform spectroscopy (HTS). Here we report the development and the validation of a nonradioactive PARP assay suitable for HTS. This is a biotinylated NAD-based colorimetric assay in a 96-well plate format. Results: The assay is sensitive, reproducible, and easy to use. The IC 50 values generated for the known PARP inhibitors are in agreement with those generated using the commercial radioactive kit and those reported in the literature. Discussion: The present study demonstrates a sensitive and reproducible methodology capable of screening human PARP inhibitors in high-throughput format.
A Boosted P′ Method for Fully Parabolized Flows

A novel iterative method for solving the incompressible, fully parabolized Navier-Stokes equations is described. It is a modification of the classical so-called P′ method. The central modification is to boost the computed pressure changes during the iterations. The method is shown to produce robust convergence for the considered application in a simple way.
Analysis by reflectance spectroscopy of nucleotides resolved on chromatoplates.

Abstract A procedure has been devised whereby five nucleotides—adenosine-3′-(2′)-phosphoric acid, adenosine 5′-diphosphate, cytidine-2′(3′)-phosphate, disodium guanosine-3′(2′)-phosphoric acid—resolved on cellulose thin-layer plates can be analyzed by means of ultraviolet reflectance spectroscopy. The procedure makes it possible to determine the concentration of the adsorded nucleotides, which can also be identified by using reflectance spectra in conjunction with R f values, with a precision of 2–6%.
The use of multimodal communication in mate choice decisions by female house crickets, Acheta domesticus

Females of various animal taxa benefit from mating with large males, and size is often communicated through different signal modalities. In male house crickets, Acheta domesticus, size is positively correlated with heritable immunocompetence and the proportion of three-pulse chirps in the male’s calling song. Although females can use these acoustic signals to choose desirable males, little is known about how these acoustic signals interact with other signal modalities. We investigated whether females prefer large males in the absence of acoustic signals. In tournament style two-choice tests, wing-clipped males that were mounted first on consecutive trials had a significantly larger mass on average than wing-clipped males that were not mounted first in both trials. We also used 100 two-choice tests to verify female acoustic preferences. Female house crickets spent significantly more time near speakers playing the calling song of a large male than the calling song of a small male. Finally, we pre-exposed females to a calling song recording from a small or large male and then presented the female with a small or large wing-clipped male to determine whether calling song or nonacoustic signals were weighed more heavily by females. Females had a lower latency to mount when presented with a large male, regardless of the quality of the calling song to which females had been pre-exposed. However, a high-quality calling song still decreased females’ latency to mount small males. These results suggest that females assess size using long-range acoustic signals, but also reassess size using more proximate nonacoustic signals.
EUCLID: an outcome analysis tool for high-dimensional clinical studies

Treatment management decisions in three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are usually made based on the dose distributions in the target and surrounding normal tissue. These decisions may include, for example, the choice of one treatment over another and the level of tumour dose escalation. Furthermore, biological predictors such as tumour control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), whose parameters available in the literature are only population-based estimates, are often used to assess and compare plans. However, a number of other clinical, biological and physiological factors also affect the outcome of radiotherapy treatment and are often not considered in the treatment planning and evaluation process. A statistical outcome analysis tool, EUCLID, for direct use by radiation oncologists and medical physicists was developed. The tool builds a mathematical model to predict an outcome probability based on a large number of clinical, biological, physiological and dosimetric factors. EUCLID can first analyse a large set of patients, such as from a clinical trial, to derive regression correlation coefficients between these factors and a given outcome. It can then apply such a model to an individual patient at the time of treatment to derive the probability of that outcome, allowing the physician to individualize the treatment based on medical evidence that encompasses a wide range of factors. The software's flexibility allows the clinicians to explore several avenues to select the best predictors of a given outcome. Its link to record-and-verify systems and data spreadsheets allows for a rapid and practical data collection and manipulation. A wide range of statistical information about the study population, including demographics and correlations between different factors, is available. A large number of one- and two-dimensional plots, histograms and survival curves allow for an easy visual analysis of the population. Several visual and analytical methods are available to quantify the predictive power of the multivariate regression model. The EUCLID tool can be readily integrated with treatment planning and record-and-verify systems.
How staging directs treatment for esophageal and lung cancer.

While staging systems may seem complicated and cumbersome at times, they are designed to stratify patients into groups by prognosis and treatment. This article reviews the staging of lung cancer and esophageal cancer, and it shows how this classification translates into different treatment plans based upon this staging. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A fermentation-powered thermopneumatic pump for biomedical applications.

We present a microorganism-powered thermopneumatic pump that utilizes temperature-dependent slow-kinetics gas (carbon dioxide) generating fermentation of yeast as a pressure source. The pump consists of stacked layers of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a silicon substrate that form a drug reservoir, and a yeast-solution-filled working chamber. The pump operates by the displacement of a drug due to the generation of gas produced via yeast fermentation carried out at skin temperatures. The robustness of yeast allows for long shelf life under extreme environmental conditions (50 °C, >250 MPa, 5–8% humidity). The generation of carbon dioxide is a linear function of time for a given temperature, thus allowing for a controlled volume displacement. A polymeric prototype (dimensions 15 mm × 15 mm × 10 mm) with a slow flow rate of <0.23 μL min−1 and maximum backpressure of 5.86 kPa capable of continuously pumping for over two hours is presented and characterized.
Network architecture design of an agile sensing system with sandwich wireless sensor nodes

Wireless sensor network (WSN) is recently emerged as a powerful tool in the structural health monitoring (SHM). Due to the limitations of wireless channel capacity and the heavy data traffic, the control on the network is usually not real time. On the other hand, many SHM applications require quick response when unexpected events, such as earthquake, happen. Realizing the need to have an agile monitoring system, an approach, called sandwich node, was proposed. Sandwich is a design of complex sensor node where two Imote2 nodes are connected with each other to enhance the capabilities of the sensing units. The extra channel and processing power, added into the nodes, enable agile responses of the sensing network, particularly in interrupting the network and altering the undergoing tasks for burst events. This paper presents the design of a testbed for examination of the performance of wireless sandwich nodes in a network. The designed elements of the network are the software architecture of remote and local nodes, and the triggering strategies for coordinating the sensing units. The performance of the designed network is evaluated through its implementation in a monitoring test in the laboratory. For both original Imote2 and the sandwich node, the response time is estimated. The results show that the sandwich node is an efficient solution to the collision issue in existing interrupt approaches and the latency in dense wireless sensor networks.
The transition from traditional to postpositivist policy analysis: A role for Q‐methodology

This paper suggests that a gap exists between policy theorists who are formulating postpositivist models of analysis and the beliefs of practitioners whose labor is guided by the traditional hand of positivism. The tension between postpositivist theory and traditional practice has created a dialectic that contributes to both, but the postpositivist theory is not likely, for reasons discussed in the paper, to spark a revolution in practice. The paper maintains that members of the discipline's intellectual infrastructure can assist the evolution to a policy analysis paradigm that includes elements of postpositivism by introducing incremental changes in practice that reinforce it. For this purpose, one important incremental change is the introduction of Q-methodology as a common tool for policy analysis. The use of Q-methodology—a method for the study of subjectivity—would help subvert the assumptions of dominant objectivism that underlie the R-methods typically learned and used by traditional analysts and could influence analysts to adopt a postpositivist perspective of their work. © 1999 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Weakly stretched premixed flames in oscillating flows

The response of a premixed flame in stagnation-point flow with an imposed oscillating strain rate has been examined. This configuration is of fundamental interest and has potential application to turbulent combustion modelling. Of interest are flames which stand well clear of the front stagnation point of a bluff body. Under these conditions the flame can be treated as a surface of density discontinuity. A detailed solution is constructed in the burned and unburned gas regions and includes the flame response to the imposed fluctuations as well as the resulting displacement of the incident flow. Our analysis accounts for the full coupling between the flame and the underlying flow field and, unlike most previous studies, is not restricted to small-amplitude oscillations.
Interaction and co-localization of JC virus large T antigen and the F-box protein β-transducin-repeat containing protein.

Lytic infection and transformation of cultured cells by JC virus (JCV) require five tumor proteins, which interact with factors regulating critical cellular processes. We demonstrate that JCV large T antigen (TAg) binds the F-box proteins β-transducin-repeat containing protein-1 and 2 (βTrCP1/2). These interactions involve a phosphodegron (DpSGX2–4pS) found in βTrCP substrates. TAg stability is unaltered, suggesting TAg is a pseudo-substrate. βTrCP and TAg co-localize in the cytoplasm, and a functional SCF complex is required. We examined whether TAg influences the levels of β-catenin, a βTrCP substrate. We were unable to demonstrate that TAg elevates β-catenin as previously reported, and a mutant TAg unable to bind βTrCP also had no detectable effect on β-catenin stability. Results presented in this study link JCV TAg to the cellular degradation complex, SCFβTrCP1/2. Proteasomal degradation is essential for proper regulation of cellular functions, and interference with proteasomal pathways highlights possible JCV pathogenic and oncogenic mechanisms.
Pulsed laser deposition and annealing of Dy–Fe–B thin films on melt-spun Nd–Fe–B ribbons for improved magnetic performance

Abstract Pulsed laser deposition of 250-nm thick, amorphous Dy2Fe14B layers on 40-μm thick Nd2Fe14B melt-spun ribbons was conducted to improve coercivity and energy product. The coated ribbons were subsequently annealed by two methods: (1) furnace annealing in an inert-gas controlled quartz furnace using tantalum foil at 1173 K for 2 h; (2) laser annealing using a continuous wave CO2 laser with power varying from 10 to 20 W for 0.2 s (estimated temperatures using a thermal model were 993–1528 K). X-ray diffraction was used to identify the microstructural phases and grain size. Magnetic hysteresis tests were conducted at 300 K using a SQUID magnetometer with a maximum field of 5.0 T. Results showed a 10% increase in coercivity and 30% increase in energy product in coated over uncoated samples that were furnace-annealed. However, the coated and laser-annealed samples exhibited soft magnetic behavior with almost zero coercivity. The incomplete crystallization of amorphous phase and precipitation of α-Fe during laser annealing are found to be responsible for the observation of poor magnetic performance.
Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

Background: Currently, most hospitals in the United States are obliged to report infections that occur following total joint arthroplasty to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the National Healthcare Safety Network surveillance. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors of surgical site infections that were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from a single institution. Methods: For this study, 6111 primary and revision total joint arthroplasties performed from April 2010 to June 2012 were identified. Surgical site infection cases captured by infection surveillance staff on the basis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition were identified. Surgical site infection cases with index surgery performed at another institution were excluded. All cases were followed up for one year for development of surgical site infection. The model for predictors of surgical site infection was created by logistic regression and was validated by bootstrap resampling. Results: Of all performed total joint arthroplasties, surgical site infection developed in eighty cases (1.31% [95% confidence interval, 1.02% to 1.59%]). The highest rate of surgical site infection was observed in revision total knee arthroplasty (4.57% [95% confidence interval, 2.31% to 6.83%]) followed by revision total hip arthroplasty (1.94% [95% confidence interval, 0.75% to 3.13%]). Among the variables examined, the predictive factors of surgical site infection were higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (odds ratio for a Charlson Comorbidity Index of ≥2, 2.29 [95% confidence interval, 1.32 to 3.94] and odds ratio for a Charlson Comorbidity Index of 1, 2.09 [95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 4.10]), male sex (odds ratio, 1.79 [95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 2.89]), and revision total knee arthroplasty (odds ratio, 3.13 [95% confidence interval, 1.17 to 8.34]), and a higher level of preoperative hemoglobin (odds ratio, 0.85 per point [95% confidence interval, 0.73 to 0.98 per point]) was protective against surgical site infection. The C-statistic of the model was 0.709 without correction and 0.678 after bootstrap correction, indicating that the model has fair predictive power. Conclusions: Low preoperative hemoglobin level is one of the risk factors for surgical site infection and preoperative correction of hemoglobin may reduce the likelihood of postoperative surgical site infection. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Mineralization of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate by a four-member aerobic bacterial consortium.

A bacterial consortium capable of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) mineralization under aerobic conditions was isolated from a chemostat inoculated with activated sludge. The consortium, designated KJB, consisted of four members, all of which were gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that grew in pairs and short chains. Three isolates had biochemical properties characteristic of Pseudomonas spp.; the fourth showed characteristics of the Aeromonas spp. Cell suspensions were grown together in minimal medium with [14C]LAS as the only carbon source. After 13 days of incubation, more than 25% of the [14C]LAS was mineralized to 14CO2 by the consortium. Pure bacterial cultures and combinations lacking any one member of the KJB bacterial consortium did not mineralize LAS. Three isolates carried out primary biodegradation of the surfactant, and one did not. This study shows that the four bacteria complemented each other and synergistically mineralized LAS, indicating catabolic cooperation among the four consortium members.
Stoichiometry of Gata4, Mef2c, and Tbx5 Influences the Efficiency and Quality of Induced Cardiac Myocyte Reprogramming

Rationale:Generation of induced cardiac myocytes (iCMs) directly from fibroblasts offers great opportunities for cardiac disease modeling and cardiac regeneration. A major challenge of iCM generation is the low conversion rate of fibroblasts to fully reprogrammed iCMs, which could in part be attributed to unbalanced expression of reprogramming factors Gata4 (G), Mef2c (M), and Tbx5 (T) using the current gene delivery approach. Objective:We aimed to establish a system to express distinct ratios of G, M, T proteins in fibroblasts and determine the effect of G, M, T stoichiometry on iCM reprogramming. Methods and Results:We took advantage of the inherent feature of the polycistronic system and generated all possible combinations of G, M, T with identical 2A sequences in a single transgene. We demonstrated that each splicing order of G, M, T gave rise to distinct G, M, T protein expression levels. Combinations that resulted in higher protein level of Mef2c with lower levels of Gata4 and Tbx5 significantly enh...
The Influence of the Global Order on the Prospects for Genuine Democracy in the Developing Countries

There is much rhetorical and even some tangible support by the developed states for democratisation processes in the poorer countries. Most people there nevertheless enjoy little genuine democratic participation or even government responsiveness to their needs. This fact is commonly explained by indigenous factors, often related to the history and culture of particular societies. My essay outlines a competing explanation by reference to global institutional factors, involving fixed features of our global economic system. It also explores possible global institutional reforms that, insofar as the offered explanation is correct, should greatly improve the prospects for democracy and responsive government in the developing world.
A new section of Protium from the neotropics. Studies in neotropical Burseraceae XIII

Abstract Protium section Pepeanthos, a neotropical group of nine species ranging from Costa Rica to the southern perimeter of Amazonia, is described, as are the group's five new species: P. calendulinum, P. gallosum, P. pecuniosum, P. retusum, and P. urophyllidium. Keys are provided to flowering and to fruiting material. The new section is characterized by a milky resin; lateral leaflet pulvinuli inconspicuous or absent; style short-branched and the stigmas caudiculate and spiculate; and the cotyledons plano-convex.
MoRePriv: mobile OS support for application personalization and privacy

Privacy and personalization of mobile experiences are inherently in conflict: better personalization demands knowing more about the user, potentially violating user privacy. A promising approach to mitigate this tension is to migrate personalization to the client, an approach dubbed client-side personalization. This paper advocates for operating system support for client-side personalization and describes MoRePriv, an operating system service implemented in the Windows Phone OS. We argue that personalization support should be as ubiquitous as location support, and should be provided by a unified system within the OS, instead of by individual apps.We aim to provide a solution that will stoke innovation around mobile personalization. To enable easy application personalization, MoRePriv approximates users' interests using personae such as technophile or business executive. Using a number of case studies and crowd-sourced user studies, we illustrate how more complex personalization tasks can be achieved using MoRePriv.For privacy protection, MoRePriv distills sensitive user information to a coarse-grained profile, which limits the potential damage from information leaks. We see MoRePriv as a way to increase end-user privacy by enabling client-side computing, thus minimizing the need to share user data with the server. As such, MoRePriv shepherds the ecosystem towards a better privacy stance by nudging developers away from today's privacy-violating practices. Furthermore, MoRePriv can be combined with privacy-enhancing technologies and is complimentary to recent advances in data leak detection.
A Software Architecture for Simulated Human-Human Conversation with User Intervention

We present the high-level design of a prototype AIbased interactive system that simulates conversation between two animated virtual characters. The conversational choices made by each character are influenced by dynamic models of each virtual participant's mental state. Also, the choices made by one character, the user's Conversational Avatar, are at certain times under user control. This style of simulated conversation with user intervention is applicable to a range of potential applications in education and entertainment. Our current application is a training system for coaching caregivers on having social conversations with persons with Alzheimer's Disease.
Basic Concepts of Thermomechanics

This paper is intended to serve as a blueprint for the first few chapters of future textbooks on continuum mechanics and continuum thermomechanics. It gives precise intrinsic formulation of the laws of balance of forces and torques, balance of energy, and the concepts of temperature and entropy. They are intrinsic in the sense that they do not involve external frames of reference such as a “physical space”. In the end, an intrinsic reduced dissipation inequality is derived, which plays a crucial role in formulating frame-free constitutive laws.
Relationship between ovarian activity and energy status during the early postpartum period of high producing dairy cows.

Abstract The effect of energy status upon ovarian activity during early lactation was assessed in 54 multiparous Holstein cows. Dry matter intake and milk yield were measured daily from parturition through 9 wk of lactation. Milk composition and body weight were measured weekly during this time. Energy balance corrected for body weight loss was calculated weekly. Blood was collected via tail vein three times weekly and plasma analyzed for progesterone and nonesterified fatty adds. Fifteen cows were anestrus for the 9 wk based on their plasma progesterone (
The relationship between the affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of attitude.

Abstract It has long been assumed that attitudes have affective, behavioral, and cognitive components. Two hypotheses were derived from this assumption and tested in three correlational studies. Individuals were predicted to show greater consistency of response to attitude scales measuring the same component than to scales measuring different components. The Campbell and Fiske (1959) multitrait-multimethod matrix procedure was used to test this hypothesis. Second, it was hypothesized that the correspondence between verbal attitude scales and nonverbal attitudinal responses should be highest when both are drawn from the same attitude component. Indices of overt behavior were compared with verbal measures of the affective, behavioral, and cognitive components as a test for the second hypothesis. Construction of verbal measures for the three components required development of a procedure for assessing the amount each verbal statement reflected each component. Scales of attitude toward the church were prepared using the methods of equal-appearing intervals, summated ratings, scalogram analysis, and self-rating. Both hypotheses were supported, but the dominant feature was a high intercorrelation between the three components with the uniqueness of each component contributing very little additional variance.
When Do They Stop? Modeling the Termination of War

This paper deals with war termination. We develop a formal model based on the logic of domestic political accountability. We assume that leaders seek to maximize the likelihood that they will stay in office and that their decisions regarding war termination are responsive to their winning coalition's expectations and sensitivity to costs and to the costs of war. Our model generates predictions about when state leaders will prefer to terminate an ongoing war, given specific terms of settlement. By applying these results to both sides in a war, we can use the model to develop propositions regarding the terms of settlement and the duration of war given varying expectations, costs, and sensitivity to costs.
Compelled Commercial Speech and the Consumer “Right to Know”

Compelled commercial speech, including mandatory labeling and the disclosure of factually true information, should not be seen as a separate category of speech under the First Amendment. Rather, compelled commercial speech should be subject to the same level of protection as commercial speech generally. This means commercial speech compulsions, such as mandatory disclosures and labeling requirements, must be supported by a substantial government interest. The assertion of a consumer “right to know” does not constitute such an interest and cannot, by itself, justify compelled commercial speech. Allowing such a justification for compelled commercial speech would eviscerate any meaningful First Amendment protection against compelled commercial speech and, threaten core First Amendment values. Such protection against speech compulsions will not inhibit government efforts to protect consumers nor prevent consumers from obtaining desired information about products and services. A dynamic market discovery process, with only limited and targeted government interventions, is a more effective way to serve the consumer interest in more complete information about goods and services. Most existing compelled disclosure requirements are consistent with this approach to compelled commercial speech, but some new and proposed disclosure requirements, including those for genetically modified organisms, are likely unconstitutional.
Molecular Dynamics of Proteins

Dynamics of macromolecules of biological interest began in 1977 with the publication of a paper on the simulation of a small protein, the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor.1 Although the trypsin inhibitor is rather uninteresting from a dynamical viewpoint — its function is to bind to trypsin — experimental and theoretical studies of this model system — the “hydrogen atom” of protein dynamics — served to initiate explorations in this field.
The Development of a Flexible Mass Spectrometer Catheter

Measurement of blood oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions is routinely employed to assist clinicians in patient evaluation and treatment. This method necessitates either arterial or venous puncture or indwelling hollow catheter to obtain the sample. Ex vivo Clark Polarographic O2 and the Severinghaus CO2 electrodes are the actual measuring devices. Many attempts have been made at continuous analysis using the O2 and CO2 electrodes with specially designed flow through cuvettes or miniature catheter tip electrodes. Most of these methods suffer from lack of repeatability and/or loss or linearity.
Inhibition of FOXM1-Mediated DNA repair by Imipramine Blue Suppresses Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis

Purpose: The approaches aimed at inhibiting the ability of cancer cells to repair DNA strand breaks have emerged as promising targets for treating cancers. Here, we assessed the potential of imipramine blue (IB), a novel analogue of antidepressant imipramine, to suppress breast cancer growth and metastasis by inhibiting the ability of breast cancer cells to repair DNA strand breaks by homologous recombination (HR). Experimental Design: The effect of IB on breast cancer growth and metastasis was assessed in vitro as well as in preclinical mouse models. Besides, the therapeutic efficacy and safety of IB was determined in ex vivo explants from breast cancer patients. The mechanism of action of IB was evaluated by performing gene-expression, drug–protein interaction, cell-cycle, and DNA repair studies. Results: We show that the systemic delivery of IB using nanoparticle-based delivery approach suppressed breast cancer growth and metastasis without inducing toxicity in preclinical mouse models. Using ex vivo explants from breast cancer patients, we demonstrated that IB inhibited breast cancer growth without affecting normal mammary epithelial cells. Furthermore, our mechanistic studies revealed that IB may interact and inhibit the activity of proto-oncogene FoxM1 and associated signaling that play critical roles in HR-mediated DNA repair. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of IB to be applied as a safe regimen for treating breast cancer patients. Given that FoxM1 is an established therapeutic target for several cancers, the identification of a compound that inhibits FoxM1- and FoxM1-mediated DNA repair has immense translational potential for treating many aggressive cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 22(14); 3524–36. ©2016 AACR.
Effects of dietary protein concentration (corn:soybean meal ratio) on the performance and carcass characteristics of growing boars, barrows, and gilts: mathematical descriptions.

Three split-plot trials using completely randomized whole-plot designs were conducted to determine the effect of dietary CP level (corn: soybean meal ratio) on daily feed intake, rate and efficiency of gain, and carcass characteristics of growing boars, barrows, and gilts. One hundred eighty-nine pigs were assigned to seven corn-soybean meal diets ranging from 11 to 23% CP in two-percentage-unit increments. The pigs were penned individually and had ad libitum access to feed and water. The average initial weight was 19 kg and the average final weight was 105 kg. Regression analysis revealed that maximal rates and efficiencies of gain were attained by all sexes when animals consumed diets that contained 17 to 19% CP. Average daily gain increased linearly as dietary lysine intake increased from 5 g/d to approximately 25 g/d. Carcass leanness increased at a greater rate for boars than for barrows and gilts (P < .05) as CP levels increased from 11 to 19% CP. The results indicated that both inadequate and excess dietary CP concentrations are detrimental to the rate and efficiency of gain and carcass quality of growing-finishing boars, barrows, and gilts. Interactions between sex and CP level indicated that inadequate CP concentrations were more detrimental to boars than to barrows and gilts.
Lobsters at Bat

![Figure][1] CREDIT: STEVEN G. JOHNSON/NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS The Report “Superfast muscles set maximum call rate in echolocating bats” (C. P. H. Elemans et al. , 30 September, p. [1885][2]) elegantly demonstrates the capacity of specialized vertebrate muscles to produce
Nanomagnet Logic Gate With Programmable-Electrical Input

We report a clock/logic/input structure for nanomagnet logic (NML) that implements a two-input slant-based OR gate with both clocking and input programming through current pulses. The clock line is a copper conductor embedded in a Si substrate with CoFe as a flux concentrator. Inputs are implemented with overlaid and dedicated bias lines. The programmability of such inputs allows us to test the same NML device for all possible input combinations. Results are determined by magnetic force microscopy. This scheme is easy to fabricate and can control thicker (20-30 nm) input nanomagnets. Close proximity of bias lines in such a structure allows us to investigate the effect of overlapping bias fields. We also report micromagnetic simulations that relate the slant in the output magnet to the dimensions of the input nanomagnets required to effect proper logic operation.
Similar response of spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats to adrenal enucleation.

SummarySpontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normal Wistar rats were subjected to right adrenalectomy and enucleation of the left adrenal. Both types of animal responded to this procedure in similar manner. The blood pressure fell during the initial interval of adrenal insufficiency and then rebounded during adrenal regeneration to substantially higher levels than the preoperative. Slightly more than half the normal rats were rendered hypertensive by adrenal enucleation. Plasma corticosterone declined shortly after enucleation and then rose progressively to normal levels in the course of adrenal regeneration. Three months after enucleation the adrenals of both groups of animals were similar in weight and also in gross and microscopic appearance. In the parameters of function and structure studied, the regenerating adrenal cortical cells of SHR showed no distinct difference from the corresponding cells of the progenitor strain. In both the SHR and the normal Wistar rats the regenerating adrenal either ...
WE‐DE‐BRC‐02: Process Maps

This SAMs Therapy Educational Course will introduce participants to the tools recommended by TG 100 for use in the development of a risk-based Quality Management Program. The Course will start with an Overview of the background and rationale behind the TG 100 initiative, from which its charge was developed. After setting the scene, four 15 minute presentations will introduce the principal components of the soon to be published Report of TG 100. These are Process Mapping, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis and the development of a QA/QM risk-based Program. There will be time for two short exercises based on Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and a Discussion before the SAMs questions which will conclude the session. Learning Objectives: 1. To appreciate the underlying philosophy of the TG 100 initiative. 2. To gain a brief overview of the principal risk-based tools recommended by TG 100. 3. In an informal workshop format, to explore, at an introductory level, the use of risk analysis as proposed by TG 100 as a prelude to the development of a Quality Management Program.
Random Digit Dialing versus Address-Based Sampling using Telephone Data Collection

Dual-frame random digit dialing (RDD) and address-based sampling (ABS) are typically considered for household survey frames. Inaccurate geographic assignments using RDD can lead to undercoverage of the target population and challenges in oversampling geographically-clustered subpopulations. Geographic targeting is straightforward with an ABS design, but ABS poses challenges related to contact for telephone data collection. The Aligning Forces for Quality: Assessment of Consumer Engagement (AF4Q) survey was originally based on an RDD design and was migrated to an ABS design due to concerns with coverage, sampling efficiencies, and data collection costs. We discuss the challenges associated with each sampling method and compare key measures between the designs. We find that the ABS design offered higher frame coverage, lower costs, and improved sampling efficiency, while the RDD design had higher response rates. ABS should be considered as a viable option for telephone-only data collection efforts that feature geographic targeting or oversampling of geographically-clustered populations.
Applying effective teaching and learning techniques to nephrology education

The interest in nephrology as a career has declined over the last several years. Some of the reasons cited for this decline include the complexity of the specialty, poor mentoring and inadequate teaching of nephrology from medical school through residency. The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to advances in the science of adult learning, illustrate best teaching practices in medical education that can be extrapolated to nephrology and introduce the basic teaching methods that can be used on the wards, in clinics and in the classroom.
Small Buildings and Small Budgets: Making Lidar Work in Northern Yucatan, Mexico

Despite the success of lidar in making ancient features visible in certain tropical environments, researchers often have difficulty using lidar to identify small, low, non-linear features. This study juxtaposes lidar data with data gathered from pedestrian survey along the Uci-Cansahcab causeway, located in the Northern Maya lowlands, to assess the degree to which the invisibility of small buildings in lidar imagery affects demographic research. The juxtaposition shows that demographic research with lidar can move forward in some cases once pedestrian survey has been used as a baseline to establish correction factors for using lidar data on their own. Another current barrier to the use of lidar is cost. This paper provides examples of the kinds of questions that can be addressed by projects with smaller budgets and, therefore, smaller amounts of lidar coverage. These questions include site size comparisons and the degree to which settlement clustered around ancient features such as the Uci-Cansahcab causeway.
Temporal Role for MyD88 in a Model of Brucella-Induced Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Inflammation

Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacteria that cause the zoonotic disease brucellosis, one of the most common global zoonoses. Osteomyelitis, arthritis, and musculoskeletal inflammation are common focal complications of brucellosis in humans; however, wild-type (WT) mice infected systemically with conventional doses of Brucella do not develop these complications. Here we report C57BL/6 WT mice infected via the footpad with 103 to 106 CFU of Brucella spp. display neutrophil and monocyte infiltration of the joint space and surrounding musculoskeletal tissue. Joint inflammation is detectable as early as 1 day postinfection and peaks 1 to 2 weeks later, after which WT mice are able to slowly resolve inflammation. B and T cells were dispensable for the onset of swelling but required for resolution of joint inflammation and infection. At early time points, MyD88-/- mice display decreased joint inflammation, swelling, and proinflammatory cytokine levels relative to WT mice. Subsequently, swelling of MyD88-/- joints surpassed WT joint swelling, and resolution of joint inflammation was prolonged. Joint bacterial loads in MyD88-/- mice were significantly greater than those in WT mice by day 3 postinfection and at all time points thereafter. In addition, MyD88-/- joint inflammatory cytokine levels on day 3 and beyond were similar to WT levels. Collectively these data demonstrate MyD88 signaling mediates early inflammatory responses in the joint but also contributes to subsequent clearance of Brucella and resolution of inflammation. This work also establishes a mouse model for studying Brucella-induced arthritis, musculoskeletal complications, and systemic responses, which will lead to a better understanding of focal complications of brucellosis.
Curcumin decreases malignant characteristics of glioblastoma stem cells via induction of reactive oxygen species.

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal form of primary brain tumor in adults. Following standard treatment of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, patients are expected to survive 12–14 months. Theorized cause of disease recurrence in these patients is tumor cell repopulation through the proliferation of treatment-resistant cancer stem cells. Current research has revealed curcumin, the principal ingredient in turmeric, can modulate multiple signaling pathways important for cancer stem cell self-renewal and survival. Following resection, tumor specimens were dissociated and glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) were propagated in neurosphere media and characterized via immunocytochemistry. Cell viability was determined with MTS assay. GSC proliferation, sphere forming and colony forming assays were conducted through standard counting methods. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was examined using the fluorescent molecular probe CM-H2DCFA. Effects on cell signaling pathways were elucidated by western blot. We evaluate the effects of curcumin on patient-derived GSC lines. We demonstrate a curcumin-induced dose-dependent decrease in GSC viability with an approximate IC50 of 25 μM. Treatment with sub-toxic levels (2.5 μM) of curcumin significantly decreased GSC proliferation, sphere forming ability and colony forming potential. Curcumin induced ROS, promoted MAPK pathway activation, downregulated STAT3 activity and IAP family members. Inhibition of ROS with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine reversed these effects indicating a ROS dependent mechanism. Discoveries made in this investigation may lead to a non-toxic intervention designed to prevent recurrence in glioblastoma by targeting glioblastoma stem cells.