cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitric Oxide and Life or Death of Human Leukemia Cells

Nitric oxide (NO) has many actions that affect physiologic and pathologic processes. These effects are important in maintenance of appropriate smooth muscle tone, learning and memory, cell signaling, and defense from infection and neoplasia. NO is an important regulator of apoptosis and death of both normal and malignant cells, and it can serve as a mediator of inflammation, mutagenesis, and carcinogenesis. NO produced by bone marrow “stromal” cells (e.g., fibroblasts, macrophages, fat cells, and endothelial cells) can influence growth and differentiation of normal hematopoietic cells. In addition, hematopoietic cells themselves can produce NO that might influence these processes. As the importance of NO was being noted in vascular biology in the early 1980s, NO was also being recognized as the key mediator of macrophage-mediated neoplastic cell stasis and death. NO from cells or from NO pro-drugs can induce apoptosis and death of many neoplastic cells in vitro in an immunologically nonspecific manner. NO can also inhibit apoptosis and death of tumor cells by blocking activity of caspases. Malignant cells may express NO synthase (NOS), and NOS inhibitors induce apoptosis of these cells in vitro under certain conditions. High levels of NO (micromolar) cause apoptosis and death of normal bone marrow hematopoietic cells in vitro. Likewise, high levels of exogenous NO mediate cytotoxicity for acute leukemia cells and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells in vitro. CLL cells overexpress inducible NOS (NOS2) and neuronal NOS (NOS1), and a variety of NOS inhibitors effectively kill CLL cells in vitro. NOS1 inhibitors are the most potent at inducing cytotoxicity in CLL cells in vitro. The cytotoxicity may be caused by prevention of an NO-mediated block in caspase-mediated apoptosis of the leukemia cells. Investigators are working to move results of preclinical studies into clinical trials of NOS inhibitors or novel NO pro-drugs for treatment of human leukemias.
CHAPTER 9 – Feeding in Snakes

Body elongation and limblessness have evolved significantly within Tetrapoda, typically associated with aquatic, fossorial, crevice dwelling, or grass-swimming lifestyles. Some lineages of secondarily elongate vertebrates (for example, limbless skinks) have solved the concomitant problem of reduction in size of the feeding apparatus by eating many tiny items, whereas others (for example, some caecilians) shear ingestible chunks out of large prey. Many advanced snakes achieved a third solution by radically restructuring their heads and feeding infrequently on large items; perhaps not coincidentally. Among limbless squamate reptiles, only Serpentes has achieved substantial adaptive radiation and high species richness. More than 2,500 species of living snakes inhabit most temperate and tropical land masses, and they often are prominent predators in terrestrial, arboreal, fossorial, aquatic, and even marine faunas. Snakes eat prey as different as onycophorans, fish eggs, centipedes, cormorants, and porcupines; many species commonly consume individual items weighing 20% of their own mass, and some venomous species occasionally subdue and eat prey that exceed their own mass by as much as 50%. This chapter first briefly surveys snake diversity and then examines in detail the functional and morphological aspects of capturing, swallowing, and processing prey that generally characterize relatively derived subgroups. It only touches on sensory aspects of feeding.
Effect of Fentanyl and Nalbuphine for Prevention of Etomidate-Induced Myoclonus.

Background: Etomidate is a potent intravenous inducing agent with known undesirable side effects such as myoclonus and pain on injection in nonpremedicated patients. Aims: The aim of this study is to compare the effect of fentanyl and nalbuphine in the prevention of etomidate-induced myoclonus. Settings and Design: Randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, and prospective comparative study. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 patients were randomly allocated to one of the three groups containing 40 patients each for intravenous administration of fentanyl 2 μg/kg diluted in 10 mL normal saline (NS) (Group 1), nalbuphine 0.3 mg/kg diluted in 10 mL NS (Group 2), and only 10 mL NS (Group 3) over 10 min. All groups subsequently received 0.3 mg/kg etomidate by intravenous bolus injection over 15–20 s and were assessed for the severity of pain using Grade IV pain scale and observed for myoclonus for 2 min and graded according to clinical severity. Serum creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels were obtained prior and postetomidate injection. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was performed by the SPSS program version 17.0 for Windows. Tests used are Shaipro–Wilk test, ANOVA, Tukey's multiple comparison test, Tamhane's T2, and the Chi-square test. For all statistical tests,P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant with 5% level of significance (α). Results: The incidence of myoclonus in Group 1 and 2 was 52.5% and 17.5%, respectively, whereas it was 92.45% in Group 3. There was no pain observed in 70%, 92.5%, and 50% of patients in Group 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in mean CPK level after induction among three groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Nalbuphine is more effective than fentanyl in the prevention of etomidate-induced myoclonus and pain with the minimum rise in CPK levels.
Comparison of diets enriched in stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids on inflammation, immune response, cardiometabolic risk factors, and fecal bile acid concentrations in mildly hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women-randomized crossover trial.

Background: Direct comparisons between SFAs varying in chain length, specifically palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0), relative to the latter's metabolic product, oleic acid (18:1), on cardiometabolic risk factors are limited. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relative comparability of diets enriched in palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid on inflammation and coagulation markers, T lymphocyte proliferation/ex-vivo cytokine secretion, plasma cardiometabolic risk factors, and fecal bile acid concentrations. Methods: Hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women (n = 20, mean ± SD age 64 ± 7 y, BMI 26.4 ± 3.4 kg/m2, LDL cholesterol ≥ 2.8 mmol/L) were provided with each of 3 diets [55% energy (%E) carbohydrate, 15%E protein, 30%E fat, with ∼50% fat contributed by palmitic acid, stearic acid, or oleic acid in each diet; 5 wk/diet phase] using a randomized crossover design with 2-wk washouts between phases. Outcome measures were assessed at the end of each phase. Results: Fasting LDL-cholesterol and non–HDL-cholesterol concentrations were lower after the stearic acid and oleic acid diets than the palmitic acid diet (all P < 0.01). Fasting HDL-cholesterol concentrations were lower after the stearic acid diet than the palmitic acid and oleic acid diets (P < 0.01). The stearic acid diet resulted in lower lithocholic acid (P = 0.01) and total secondary bile acid (SBA) concentrations (P = 0.04) than the oleic acid diet. All other outcome measures were similar between diets. Lithocholic acid concentrations were positively correlated with fasting LDL-cholesterol concentrations (r = 0.33; P = 0.011). Total SBA, lithocholic acid, and deoxycholic acid concentrations were negatively correlated with fasting HDL cholesterol (r = −0.51 to −0.44; P < 0.01) concentrations and positively correlated with LDL cholesterol:HDL cholesterol (r = 0.37–0.54; P < 0.01) ratios. Conclusions: Dietary stearic acid and oleic acid had similar effects on fasting LDL-cholesterol and non–HDL-cholesterol concentrations and more favorable ones than palmitic acid. Unlike oleic acid, the hypocholesterolemic effect of stearic acid may be mediated by inhibition of intestinal hydrophobic SBA synthesis. These findings add to the data suggesting there should be a reassessment of current SFA dietary guidance and Nutrient Facts panel labeling. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02145936.
Bipolar Disorder, Genetic Risk, and Reproductive Decision-Making: A Qualitative Study of Social Media Discussion Boards.

In this study, we present views on bipolar disorder and reproductive decision-making through an analysis of posts on Reddit™, a major Internet discussion forum. Prior research has shown that the In...
ON THE MECHANISM OF RADIATION DAMAGE IN GRAPHITE

Reactor graphite irradiated to 1020 and 8 × 1020 neutron/cm2 was studied by electron microscopy by the dark field method (formation of the image by diffracted electrons). Defects with dimensions from 10 A (limit of resolution) up to about 60 A became clearly visible. Specimens heated to different temperatures outside or inside the microscope were also investigated. The interpretation of the defects by the kinematical theory of diffraction tends to support the idea that at room temperature the irradiated graphite contains relatively large holes in the layer planes of sizes up to several hundred atoms and clustered interstitial atoms between these planes. An interpretation of the annealing behavior is given based on displacement spikes.
Anonymous live liver donor: the Good Samaritan Stranger

Living donor liver transplantation is a proven option for end-stage liver disease. In a new study, a pioneering multi-organ transplantation programme in Canada critically reviews the motivations and facilitators of anonymous adult living liver donors over a 12-year period, providing insights into how we can push forward ethical living organ donation for transplantation.
Text and you might miss it? Snap and you might remember? Exploring “Google effects on memory” and cognitive self-esteem in the context of Snapchat and text messaging

Abstract This study examines “Google effects on memory” and “cognitive self-esteem” in the interpersonal contexts of Snapchat and text messaging, and looks at the relationship between the two concepts, given that both are derived from earlier research on transactive memory systems (originally an interpersonal domain). It was hypothesized that the permanence of text messages would impair memory relative to the ephemerality of Snaps, and these effects would be mediated by cognitive self-esteem such that information permanence would increase cognitive self-esteem, which in turn would impair memory. Using a laboratory experiment (n = 189) manipulating the channel (text messaging/Snapchat/control condition) from which people received images and facts about animals, there were no Google effects on memory, and cognitive self-esteem was positively related to memory. However, results indicated that when cognitive self-esteem and possible moderating effects of mobile application use were controlled for, both text messaging and Snapchat impaired some forms of memory relative to a control condition. Implications of the null and positive (counter-hypothesized) results are discussed in the context of other recent research, suggesting that Google effects may not be as robust as earlier studies may have proposed and/or memory impairment being due to increased cognitive load rather than cognitive offloading.
Effects of liver abscess presence on stress-related physiological parameters associated with well-being in beef feedlot cattle

ABSTRACT Objective Production diseases, such as liver abscesses, can affect cattle performance; however, the well-being implications are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of liver abscess presence on stress-related parameters in beef breed feedlot cattle. Materials and Methods A total of 363 Bos taurus crossbred beef feedlot steers (675 ± 2.3 kg) were assigned to 1 of 3 groups in accordance with the liver abscess score assigned after slaughter: no liver abscess presence (n = 316), mild liver abscess presence (n = 21), and severe liver abscess presence (n = 24). Hair cortisol concentrations were obtained from hair samples collected from each animal 2 d before slaughter. A maximum eye temperature using infrared thermography and a mobility score were assigned to each animal. Serum cortisol concentrations were collected via exsanguination blood for 115 of the 363 animals. Analyses of variance were used to determine differences in measured well-being variables between liver abscess score groups. Results and Discussion All measured parameters, including infrared thermography (P = 0.55), hair cortisol (P = 0.96), and serum cortisol (P = 0.21), showed no effect of liver abscess scores. No statistical analysis was performed with mobility data because only scores of normal locomotion were assigned. Implications and Applications Under the conditions of this experiment, liver abscesses did not affect measured stress-related outcomes. Further research is warranted to improve our understanding of the relationship between liver abscess presence and other stress-related parameters associated with well-being in cattle.
Role of metastasectomy for liver metastasis in stage IV anal cancer.

Abstract Introduction There is a paucity of data on the role of metastasectomy for metastatic anal cancer on survival outcomes. We aim to define the role of metastasectomy in stage IV anal cancer. Methods National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2014 was accessed to include patients with metastatic anal cancer, excluding adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine, and ‘other’ histologies. We compared patients undergoing metastasectomy (n = 165) to those who did not have metastasectomy (n = 2093) by age, sex, cancer grade, and site of metastasis, including metastasis to bone, liver, and lung, using chi-square analysis. The primary outcome was overall survival. Results Patients had equal distribution of metastatic sites between those who underwent metastasectomy versus no metastasectomy: bone (7.64% vs 4.85%, p = 0.22), brain (0.24% vs 0%, p = 1.0), liver (23.22% vs 29.70%, p = 0.07), and lung (11.85% vs 9.09%, p = 0.38). Survival following metastasectomy was increased at one year (71% vs. 61%, p = 0.016), two years (50% vs. 38%, p = 0.014), and five years (30% vs. 19%, p = 0.025). Median overall survival was increased (23 months vs. 16 months; p = 0.015) for patients with metastasectomy. Survival increases were demonstrated only in the group with liver metastasis undergoing metastasectomy. When stratifying for liver metastases only, median overall survival time was further increased (34 months vs. 16 months; p Conclusion These results demonstrate a survival benefit for hepatic metastasectomy in stage IV anal cancer. Our findings demonstrate a potential survival benefit in highly select patients with metastatic anal cancer to the liver. These findings support further investigation in a randomized clinical trial to delineate these findings.
Optimism is associated with chronic kidney disease and rapid kidney function decline among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study.

Abstract Objective Investigate the association of dispositional optimism with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and rapid kidney function decline (RKFD) and determine if there is modification by age, sex, and educational attainment among African Americans. Methods Optimism was measured using the 6-item Life Orientation Test-Revised scale (categorized into tertiles and log transformed) among participants from the Jackson Heart Study (n = 1960). CKD was defined as the presence of albuminuria or reduced glomerular filtration rate of 3 mL/min/1.73m2/year between baseline and exam 3 (2009–2013). The cross-sectional and prospective associations between optimism and kidney outcomes were tested using multivariable logistic regression to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for demographics, education, risk factors, behaviors, and depressive symptoms. We tested effect modification by age, sex, and education. Results 569 participants had CKD and 326 were classified as having RKFD by exam 3. After full adjustment, the OR for CKD was 0.73 for those who reported high (vs. low) optimism (95% CI 0.55–0.99) and 0.56 (95% CI 0.27–1.15) for the optimism score. After 7.21 median years of follow up, the OR for RKFD was 0.51 for those who reported high (vs. low) optimism (95% CI 0.34–0.76), and 0.26 (95% CI 0.10–0.56) for the optimism score, after full adjustment. There was no evidence of effect modification by demographics or educational attainment. Conclusions Higher optimism was associated with a lower odds of CKD and a lower odds of RKFD.
α-Amino Radical-Mediated Diverse Difunctionalization of Alkenes: Construction of C–C, C–N, and C–S Bonds

A general catalytic methodology for 1,2-RF/Y-difunctionalization of conjugated alkenes is reported. Diverse functionalized carbon radicals (RF•), which are generated through copper(I)-initiated sel...
Changing Perspectives: Validation Framework Review of Examples of Mixed Methods Research into Culturally Relevant Teaching.

Mixed methods research becomes more utilized in education research every year. As this pluralist paradigm begins to take hold, it becomes more and more necessary to take a critical eye to studies making use of different mixed methods approaches. An area of education research that has yet struggled to find a foothold with mixed methodology is social justice. Due to the typically unpredictable nature and level of involvement in these environments, it seems that researchers have struggled to find a way to bring social justice education research into the “third paradigm.” In this manuscript, I have reviewed three exemplar studies which both used mixed methodology and approached the research in education with a social justice framework, particularly culturally relevant teaching and critical race theory. In so doing, I have draw upon common traits which indicate work still needing to be done to fully integrate mixed methods approaches with this sort of research. I offer suggestions, including the use of critica...
Childhood adversity and cortisol habituation to repeated stress in adulthood

Abstract Background Childhood adversity is a robust predictor of poor health outcomes in adulthood and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis dysfunction may be a key mechanism explaining this association. However, little is known about the influence childhood adversity may exhibit on adult HPA axis habituation (i.e., decreased cortisol output in response to a repeated stressor), where HPA axis dysfunction can be inferred if habituation deviates from normal patterns. Methods The current study used data from a larger study that examined the effects of stress management interventions on cortisol habituation to repeated stress. Eighty-three adults reported childhood adversity with the Adverse Childhood Experience scale and completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) twice (48 h apart) scheduled after a 6-wk intervention period. Salivary cortisol was assessed pre-stressor and +25, +35, and +60 mins post-stressor onset during both visits. Results Results indicated that childhood adversity was associated with a marginally larger decrease in total cortisol from visit 1 to visit 2 among men (i.e., habituation), but not women (i.e. non-habituation). Conclusions These findings suggest that childhood adversity may alter HPA axis habituation to repeated stress later in life, with possible sex differences. Future research should investigate whether HPA axis habituation to repeated stress may be a pathway through which childhood adversity affects adult health, and how it may affect men and women differently.
Osteosarcoma of the Mandible Initially Diagnosed as Atypical Fibro-Osseous Lesion

Summary The diagnosis of atypical fibro-osseous lesion may have some usefulness in surgical pathology, but this diagnosis should be used with caution because entities included within this designation have a wide range of biologic behavior, treatment, and prognosis. A specific diagnosis should be sought through correlation of all available clinical, radiographic, and histologic data. Further, the importance of multiple, repeat biopsies cannot be overestimated. Osteosarcoma of the jaws is recognized as an entity with diverse clinical findings and histologic features that impact on tumor behavior and patient survival. The great majority of osteosarcomas are high-grade tumors, but some may be low-grade tumors with an inherently better prognosis when treated expeditiously. It is important that the surgeon and pathologist correlate clinical, radiographic, and histologic findings to accomplish adequate treatment.
Mapping the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacy graduate students' wellness.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes in pharmacy graduate students' (PhGS) lives. While pharmacy graduate programs across the U.S. have reported adjustments due to the pandemic, there is currently no data on the PhGS’ wellness, and the impact on and extent to which offered supports and guidance has met PhGS needs. Objective This study's objectives were 1) to explore PhGS′ perspectives on their challenges and the impact of these challenges on their wellness, and 2) to identify PhGS′ suggestions for pharmacy graduate programs to improve guidance and support offered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This study conducted semi-structured interviews based on the Objective, Reflective, Interpretative, Decisional (ORID) methodology. Pharmacy students working on completing a PhD in programs across the United States were invited to participate. All interviews were conducted using the Zoom platform between May and June 2020. Digital audio recordings were auto transcribed using the Trint platform. Thematic analysis was conducted using the six-dimensional model of wellness developed by Hettler as a guide, while open coding of the PhGS’ suggestions was conducted inductively. Results Thirteen PhGS across six universities in the U.S. were interviewed. During the pandemic, all six dimensions of the Wellness model were found to be challenged for PhGS. PhGS′ challenges differed based on their laboratory-based vs. non-laboratory-based research settings. International PhGS reported differing challenges from domestic PhGS. PhGS also provided 18 practical suggestions for improving the teaching process and facilitating student's academic growth in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, graduate programs should continue developing a robust and tailored system to encourage and maintain mentorship programs to facilitate graduate students’ successful path through their doctoral studies. Moreover, the suggestions offered by the PhGS participants in this study, when appropriately implemented, can also position graduate program success post-pandemic.
A Comparative Overview of Disability-Related Employment Laws and Policies in 193 Countries:

People with disabilities experience significantly worse employment outcomes than individuals without disabilities. In a study of 91 countries, employment-to-population ratios were significantly low...
Testicular thermoregulation with respect to spermatogenesis and contraception.

There has been some evidence that a short heating exposure of the testicles can lead to temporary sterility. However, little attention has been paid to analyzing the temperature/time pattern throughout the testicle and how metabolism and blood perfusion affect the temperature profile. We use the Penne bioheat equation that accounts for the elements of conduction, perfusion, and metabolism along with the COMSOL Finite Element Method for the analysis of this thermoregulation problem. Typically, the testicles were modeled as two uniform spheres and exposed to an increase in surface temperature of 42 °C for 30 min. We found that heat produced by tissue metabolism had a minor effect on the temperature pattern. However, blood flow from the core (at 37 °C) could prevent the region where the testicles touch each other from reaching the target temperature of 42 °C. Further, we found that for animals, as rodents and monkeys that are used for contraception studies, the temperature distribution on heating testicles is much more uniform than for humans. Thus, extrapolation results from animal models to humans should be done with caution.
Oscillation and Input Compensation in the Cyanobacterial Kai Proteins

The purified Kai protein oscillator remarkably recapitulates many of the qualitative features of circadian clocks in living organisms. Here I review the phenomenology of this system with a focus on how the Kai oscillator is special compared to generic biochemical oscillators. A key feature is that many external perturbations couple much more strongly to the amplitude than to the period of oscillations. This property is the basis of the ability of the oscillator to entrain to cycling environments while maintaining free-running rhythms that are always near 24 h. In contrast, internal perturbations that alter the structure of KaiC can cause large changes in the period. Explaining the molecular mechanism that underlies the sensitivity of period and amplitude to perturbations is a major remaining challenge that lies at the heart of clock physiology. I propose a toy mathematical model based on speculative biochemical assumptions that may shed some light on how the period and amplitude of the Kai protein oscillator arise.
Ocular biomechanics and glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Ocular biomechanical properties have been implicated in glaucoma pathogenesis, but existing commercial devices cannot determine changes in specific tissues. We recently performed a study to compare corneal wave speed (a measure of corneal elasticity) and ocular rigidity (a whole eye measurement of ocular biomechanics) between glaucomatous and normal eyes. Twenty glaucomatous eyes from 10 patients and 20 normal eyes from 13 controls, matched for age, intraocular pressure (IOP), and axial length were included. Ocular rigidity was calculated based on the difference in supine IOP by pneumatonometry with and without a 10-g weight. Corneal wave speed was determined by ultrasound surface wave elastography in which a small, 0.1 s harmonic vibration at 100 Hz was generated through the closed eyelids. Wave propagation was captured by an ultrasound transducer, and wave speed was determined from the phase change with distance. No significant differences in corneal wave speed between glaucomatous and normal eyes were detected (P = 0.17). However, ocular rigidity was significantly lower in glaucomatous eyes (0.0218 ± 0.0033 vs 0.0252 ± 0.0050 μl−1, P = 0.01). While lower ocular rigidity is consistent with altered biomechanics in glaucoma, the lack of a difference in corneal wave speed suggests that corneal tissue may not be significantly affected, and scleral changes likely play a more important role.
Soil Morphology in the Critical Zone: The Role of Climate, Geology, and Vegetation in Soil Formation in the Critical Zone

Abstract The Critical Zone has been defined by the National Research Council (2001) as the heterogeneous, near-surface environment in which complex interactions involving rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms regulate the natural habitat and determine the availability of life-sustaining resources. The Critical Zone extends from the top of the vegetative canopy to the bottom of the groundwater aquifer. Soil, thus, forms the core of the Critical Zone as it incorporates a substantial part of this entire region of the “skin” of Earth. This chapter examines the nature of soils, their formation and their dependence on interactions, and feedbacks between climate, geology, and vegetation.
Wind-Tunnel Tests for Temperature Recovery Factors at Supersonic Velocities

Temperatures were measured on the surface of a tangential »give attached to a 4-in. diameter cylinder. The tests were tiade at Mach Numbers of 1.73 and 2.00 in the Ordnance Aero)hysics Laboratory wind tunnel in Texas. The model was nade of Lucite, a thermal insulator, and the tests showed that he surface temperature experienced 88.0 per cent of the adiabatic stagnation temperature rise of the airflow just clear of the boundiry layer. The experimental scatter amounted to about V2 per *ent. These results compare with Squire's theory, which gives 39.42 per cent for a turbulent, and 84.56 per cent for a laminar, Doundary layer.
Esophageal Infections in Immunosuppressed Patients After Marrow Transplantation

We reviewed all cases of infectious esophagitis diagnosed after marrow transplantation during a 2-yr period. Twenty-one infections were found during 46 fiberoptic endoscopic examinations; most infections were viral, with equal numbers due to cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus. These infections presented with nonspecific esophageal symptoms weeks to months after transplantation. Diagnoses depended on histology and viral cultures. During the same time span, autopsies revealed 25 cases of in f ective esophagitis among 59 patients; most were again viral, with equal numbers of herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus infections. Mixed infections due to viral, fungal, and bacterial pathogens were found in both endoscopy and autopsy series. The prevalence of esophageal infection in marrow transplant patients with esophageal symptoms is high, but the organisms could not be predicted on the basis of symptoms, oropharyngeal surveillance cultures, or esophageal x-ray. Accurate diagnosis requires that endoscopic biopsy specimens and brushings be examined by both histologic and virologic methods.
Photographs as evidence

Photographs furnish evidence. This is true in both formal and informal contexts. The use of photographs as legal evidence goes back to the very earliest days of photography, and they have been used in American trials since around the time of the Civil War. Photographs may also serve as historical evidence (for example, about the Civil War). And they serve in informal contexts as evidence about all sorts of things, such as what we and our loved ones looked like in the past. Photographs are not, of course, the only sorts of pictures that can furnish evidence. It is not hard to think of cases in which a non-photographic picture might serve as legal evidence (perhaps of art theft?). Cave paintings serve as anthropological evidence of human habitation. And crude pictures chalked on the side of a building may serve informally as evidence of adolescent mischief. Nonetheless, photographs seem to have a distinctive epistemic status as compared with other sorts of pictures. Unlike the aforementioned examples of non-photographic depictions, photographs typically provide evidence specially about what they depict. Most significantly, the epistemically special character of photographs is revealed by this fact: we are inclined to trust them in a way that we are not inclined to trust even the most accurate of drawings and paintings. The traditional explanation for the special epistemic status of photography is that photography is an inherently realistic medium. This certainly sounds
Hybrid Diagrams: A Deductive-Algorithmic Approach to Hybrid System Verification

We present a methodology for the verification of temporal properties of hybrid systems. The methodology is based on the deductive transformation of hybrid diagrams, which represent the system and its properties, and which can be algorithmically checked against the specification. This check either gives a positive answer to the verification problem, or provides guidance for the further transformation of the diagrams. The resulting methodology is complete for quantifier-free linear-time temporal logic.
Epigenetic modifications in human fragile X pluripotent stem cells; Implications in fragile X syndrome modeling.

Abstract Patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS) exhibit moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. In addition, one-third of FXS patients show characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. FXS is caused by a trinucleotide repeat expansion, which leads to silencing of the fragile X mental retardation (FMR1) gene. The absence of the FMR1 gene product, FMRP, is the reason for the disease symptoms. It has been suggested that repeat instability and transcription of the FMR1 gene occur during early embryonic development, while after cell differentiation repeats become stable and the FMR1 gene is silent. Epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, are associated with gene silencing and repeat stability at the FMR1 locus. However, the mechanisms leading to gene silencing and repeat expansion are still ambiguous, because studies at the human genomic locus were limited until now. The FXS pluripotent stem cells, recently derived from FXS adult cells and FXS blastocysts, are new useful tools to examine these mechanisms at the human endogenous FMR1 locus. This review summarizes the epigenetic features and experimental studies of FXS human embryonic and FXS induced pluripotent stem cells, generated so far. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Exploiting human neurons.
Exploiting Size-Dependent Drag and Magnetic Forces for Size-Specific Separation of Magnetic Nanoparticles

Realizing the full potential of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in nanomedicine requires the optimization of their physical and chemical properties. Elucidation of the effects of these properties on clinical diagnostic or therapeutic properties, however, requires the synthesis or purification of homogenous samples, which has proved to be difficult. While initial simulations indicated that size-selective separation could be achieved by flowing magnetic nanoparticles through a magnetic field, subsequent in vitro experiments were unable to reproduce the predicted results. Magnetic field-flow fractionation, however, was found to be an effective method for the separation of polydisperse suspensions of iron oxide nanoparticles with diameters greater than 20 nm. While similar methods have been used to separate magnetic nanoparticles before, no previous work has been done with magnetic nanoparticles between 20 and 200 nm. Both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis were used to confirm the size of the MNPs. Further development of this work could lead to MNPs with the narrow size distributions necessary for their in vitro and in vivo optimization.
The evaluation of new health care technology: The labor economics of statistics

Abstract This paper interprets the market for observations as a labor market and discusses the impact of market forces on experimental designs, focusing on clinical trials in the evaluation of new health care technology. First, the impact of the supply and demand for observations on the sampling distributions of common treatment effect estimators, as well as the equilibrium sample size that the supply and demand lead to, are analyzed. Equilibrium samples imply that standard arguments about the consistency of common estimators, which assume tha populations sampled do not change with the equilibrium size of the sample, are applicable less often than commonly argued. Second, the impact that extensive public regulation of the market for observations has on sampling distributions is discussed, particularly the effects of mandatory, as opposed to voluntary, randomization. It is argued that such regulations may be interpreted as ovecoming an econometric moral hazard problem in the production of treatment effect estimates by producers who do not have the truth-preferring tastes implicity assumed throughout normative statistical analysis of experimental design.
CANDIDATE DISK WIDE BINARIES IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

Using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 6, we construct two independent samples of candidate stellar wide binaries selected (1) as pairs of unresolved sources with angular separation in the range 3''–16'', and (2) as common proper motion pairs with 5''–30'' angular separation, and make them publicly available. These samples are dominated by disk stars, and we use them to constrain the shape of the main-sequence photometric parallax relation Mr(r − i) and to study the properties of wide binary systems. We estimate Mr(r − i) by searching for a relation that minimizes the difference between distance moduli of primary and secondary components of wide binary candidates. We model Mr(r − i) by a fourth degree polynomial and determine the coefficients independently for each sample using Markov chain Monte Carlo fitting. Aided by the derived photometric parallax relation, we construct a series of high-quality catalogs of candidate main-sequence binary stars. Using these catalogs, we study the distribution of semimajor axes of wide binaries, a, in the 2000 AU < a < 47,000 AU range. We find the observations to be well described by the Opik distribution, f(a) ∝ 1/a, for a < abreak, where abreak increases roughly linearly with the height Z above the Galactic plane [abreak ∝ 12,300 Z(kpc)0.7 AU]. The number of wide binary systems with 100 AU < a < abreak, as a fraction of the total number of stars, decreases from 0.9% at Z = 0.5 kpc to 0.5% at Z = 3 kpc. The probability for a star to be in a wide binary system is independent of its color. Given this color, the companions of red components seem to be drawn randomly from the stellar luminosity function, while blue components have a larger blue-to-red companion ratio than expected from the luminosity function.
Rapid Nuclear Actions of Growth Hormone

The mechanisms by which growth hormone (GH) initiates its effect on growth are largely unknown. In this report we examine the acute actions of GH with a focus on the intracellular signaling pathways l
Do cortisol and thyroxin correlate with nervousness and depression among male army veterans

Elevated cortisol is recognized as a transient response to stress, and is also found among patients with major depressive disorder. Abnormally high levels of thyroxin are associated with nervousness and irritability, while very low levels are associated with lethargy. Therefore it is reasonable to ask if variations in cortisol and thyroxin within a normal population are associated with differences in anxiety and depression. These expectations were tested in a large sample of male army veterans. Nervousness is significantly associated with both thyroxin and cortisol, although several other symptoms of anxiety or depression are not.
Refractive Indices and Anomalous Dispersion of Soft X-Rays in Platinum, Silver, Calcite and Glass

With a large x-ray vacuum spectrograph x-ray beams of nearly homogeneous wave-length were secured by reflection from a gypsum crystal. The indices of refraction of a number of substances for these rays were measured by the total reflection method in the wave-length range from 0.80 to 9.15A. Curves are obtained relating the values of $1\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\mu}=\ensuremath{\delta}$ ($\ensuremath{\mu}$ being the index of refraction) with the corresponding wave-length $\ensuremath{\lambda}$. The effects of anomalous dispersion are shown in lowered values of $\ensuremath{\delta}$ on both sides of an absorption limit wave-length. In the case of calcite this depression in the curve extends over the region from 2.5 to 3.4A, i.e. from frequencies 12 percent greater to frequencies 10 percent less than that of the $K$ limit of calcium at 3.06A, the minimum value of $\ensuremath{\delta}$ occurring precisely at 3.06A. The dispersion curves for platinum and silver show that in cases where the percent frequency difference between adjacent absorption limits is small the depressions due to the separate limits are not resolved. The relative frequency separation of the ${L}_{\mathrm{II}}$ and ${L}_{\mathrm{III}}$ limits of silver is less than that of the ${L}_{I}$ and ${L}_{\mathrm{II}}$ limits hence two minima or points of inflection appear in the dispersion curve, one at a mean of the ${L}_{\mathrm{II}}$ and ${L}_{\mathrm{III}}$ wave-lengths and the other at the ${L}_{I}$ limit. This is reversed in the case of platinum where the relative frequency separation is least between ${L}_{I}$ and ${L}_{\mathrm{II}}$ in which case these are not resolved although ${L}_{\mathrm{III}}$ appears as a separate depression in the curve. Similar results are found in the $M$ series of platinum, a depression appearing at a mean of the ${M}_{I}$ and ${M}_{\mathrm{II}}$ wave-lengths and also at a mean of the ${M}_{\mathrm{IV}}$ and ${M}_{V}$ wave-lengths while ${M}_{\mathrm{III}}$ having a greater frequency separation from other levels is clearly resolved. The dispersion curve for glass passes through minima at the $K$ limits of silicon and aluminum showing that the sample contained the latter element as well as the former but its composition was otherwise unknown. These results fully reveal for the first time the type of anomalous dispersion occurring in the region of the $K$, $L$ and $M$ absorption discontinuities. In general the values of $\ensuremath{\delta}$ are in fair but not excellent agreement with those computed from the Drude-Lorentz dispersion formula for regions not too close to an absorption limit. The form of curve obtained was found to be the same regardless of the particular sample used but the actual values found for $\ensuremath{\delta}$ appear to vary considerably with thickness of film and surface conditions.
Back on the balance sheet: The tax effects of contingent claims in commercial banking

Abstract Contingent claims separate revenue and cost into two different time periods. Revenue comes in the initial origination process, while the cost comes upon completion of the contract in the event of default. With banks increasing contingent claims in recent years, a higher taxable income leads to a shift in a bank's balance sheet toward tax-free income and tax-shielding liabilities. This provides a valuable case-study of corporate finance theories of tax management. This paper builds a model to illustrate the income features of contingent claims. Call Reports from 1990–1996 are examined, and show significant evidence of increases in leverage associated with contingent claims.
Optimizing the Supply Chain Configuration for Make-To-Order Manufacturing

Abstract We consider a make-to-order (MTO) manufacturer who has won multiple contracts with specified quantities to be delivered by certain due dates. Before production starts, the company must configure its supply chain and make sourcing decisions. It also needs to plan the starting time for each production task under limited availability of resources such as machines and workforce. We develop a model for simultaneously optimizing such sourcing and planning decisions while exploiting their tradeoffs. The resulting multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem (MMRCPSP) with a nonlinear objective function is NP-complete. To efficiently solve it, a hybrid Benders decomposition (HBD) algorithm combining the strengths of both mathematical programming and constraint programming is developed. The HBD exploits the structure of the model formulation and decomposes it into a relaxed master problem handled by mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP), and a scheduling feasibility sub-problem handled by constraint programming (CP). Cuts are iteratively generated by solving the feasibility sub-problem and added back to the relaxed master problem, until an optimal solution is found or infeasibility is proved. Computational experiments are conducted to examine performance of the model and algorithm. Insights about optimal configuration of MTO supply chains are drawn and discussed.
Clonal growth of normal adult human bronchial epithelial cells in a serum-free medium.

Defined culture conditions for routine clonal growth of normal human adult bronchial epithelial cells have been developed. Serum and feeder cell requirements were abrogated by: (a) optimizing the calcium concentration in nutrient medium, MCDB 151; (b) supplementing with purified factors (epidermal growth factor, 5 ng/ml; insulin, 5 micrograms/ml; transferrin, 10 microgram/ml; hydrocortisone, phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine, each at 5 x 10(-7) M; and trace elements); and (c) coating the surface of the culture dish with a mixture of fibronectin, collagen, and bovine serum albumin. Endothelial cell growth supplement (100 micrograms/ml) and retinoic acid (3 x 10(-10) M) further enchanced growth, whereas cholera toxin was nonmitogenic and serum supplementation (greater than 2%) markedly reduced the growth rate. Using the defined system, dissociated cultures of bronchial epithelial cells, obtained from more than 15 donors, have been subcultured at clonal densities with a colony forming efficiency of 3 to 4%. In addition, high density cultures have been subcultured more than five times with four to six population doublings per passage. The features of this system permit pathobiologic investigations of bronchial epithelial cells, e.g., aging, differentiation, and carcinogenesis using conditions that isolate the results from the influence of serum, feeder cells, and other undefined factors.
Role of the active-site cysteine of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin. Crystal structure analysis of the Cu II (Cys112Asp) protein

Replacement of the cysteine at position 112 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin with an aspartic acid residue results in a mutant (Cys112Asp) protein that retains a strong copper-binding site. Cu^(II)(Cys112Asp) azurin can be reduced by excess [Ru^(II)(NH_3)_6]^(2+), resulting in a Cu^I protein with an electronic absorption spectrum very similar to that of wild-type Cu^I azurin. Cys112Asp azurin exhibits reversible interprotein electron-transfer reactivity with P. aeruginosa cytochrome c_(551) (μ = 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 7.0);E°(Cu^(II/I)) = 180 mV vs NHE); this redox activity indicates that electrons can still enter and exit the protein through the partially solvent-exposed imidazole ring of His117. The structure of Cu^(II)(Cys112Asp) azurin at 2.4-A resolution shows that the active-site copper is five coordinate: the pseudo-square base of the distorted square-pyramidal structure is defined by the imidazole N^δ atoms of His46 and His117 and the oxygen atoms of an asymmetrically-bound bidentate carboxylate group of Asp112; the apical position is occupied by the oxygen atom of the backbone carbonyl group of Gly45. The Cu^(II)–Asp112 interaction is distinguished by an approximately 1.2-A displacement of the metal center from the plane defined by the Asp112 carboxylate group.
New regulatory genes involved in the control of transcription initiation at the thr and ilv promoters of Escherichia coli K-12.

The gene ileR+, considered to encode a trans-acting protein involved in the regulation of the thr and ilv operons of Escherichia coli, has been cloned and localized to a 1.2 Kb Bg/II-SalI fragment of DNA. In strains harboring attenuation-defective fusions of lacZ to the promoter regions of the thr and ilv operons, ileR mutations lead to β-galactosidase levels higher than those of the deattenuated parental strains. Reduced utilization of the thr and ilv promoters was observed in ileR cells harboring either ileR+ plasmids or plasmids leading to the hyperproduction of Trp repressor. These results support the idea that ileR+ encodes a repressor protein that negatively affects the expression of the thr and ilv operons. Two additional trans-acting postive regulatory elements that act at the thr and ilv promoters have been identified by an analysis of deletion mutants. It thus appears that there exist positive as well as negative controlling elements that can act independently of attenuation to modulate the ilv and thr operons.
Managers' personalities and their leadership perceptions

This study investigated relationships between managers' personalities and their leadership perceptions. Data described 94 managers in one company and another 61 managers working in diverse organizations. Personality variables measure rigidity, intolerance of ambiguity, and locus of control. Leadership variables measure initiating structure, consideration, and least preferred co-worker. Only two of the twenty-four differences between means exhibited statistical significance, which provides very little support for the hypothesis that managers' personalities are significantly related with their leadership perceptions.