cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of insurance status, ethnicity, and race with pathologic risk in retinoblastoma: A Children's Oncology Group (COG) study.

e17573 Background: Insurance status affects cancer diagnosis and outcome in adults, but the impact has not been well studied in pediatric cancer. In children with retinoblastoma, time to diagnosis ...
IMF conditionality supports revenue collection: is it just tax rates?

This article examines if the observed favourable impact of conditionality in IMF programmes on revenue performance arises from changes in tax rates. It does so by studying the experience of 126 low...
Autism spectrum disorder and birth spacing: Findings from the study to explore early development (SEED).

Previous studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and birth spacing had limitations; few examined phenotypic case subtypes or explored underlying mechanisms for associations and none assessed whether other (non-ASD) developmental disabilities (DDs) were associated with birth spacing. We assessed associations between inter-pregnancy interval (IPI) and both ASD and other DDs using data from the Study to Explore Early Development, a multi-site case-control study with rigorous case-finding and case-classification methods and detailed data collection on maternal reproductive history. Our sample included 356 ASD cases, 627 DD cases, and 524 population (POP) controls born in second or later births. ASD and DD cases were further sub-divided according to whether the child had intellectual disability (ID). ASD cases were also sub-divided by ASD symptom severity, and DD cases were subdivided by presence of some ASD symptoms (indicated on an autism screener). Odds ratios, adjusted for maternal-child sociodemographic factors, (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals were derived from logistic regression models. Among term births, ASD was associated with both IPI <18 months (aOR 1.5 [1.1–2.2]) and ≥60 months (1.5 [0.99–2.4]). Both short and long IPI associations were stronger among ASD cases with high severity scores (aORs 2.0 [1.3–3.3] and 1.8 [0.99–3.2], respectively). Associations were unchanged after adding several factors potentially related to the causal pathway to regression models. DD was not associated with either short or long IPI—overall, among term births, or in any subgroup examined. These findings extend those from previous studies and further inform recommendations on optimal pregnancy spacing. Autism Res 2018, 11: 81–94. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary We investigated whether the amount of time between pregnancies was associated autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other developmental disabilities (DD) in children. ASD was increased in second and later-born children who were conceived less than 18 months or 60 or more months after the mother's previous birth. Other DDs were not associated with birth spacing.
Impact of Right-sided Primary Tumor Location Among Patients With Oligometastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

Introduction Among patients with colorectal cancer, those with right-sided primary tumors have worse outcomes in both the primary and metastatic setting. Patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer (OMCC) have improved prognosis relative to those with diffusely metastatic disease. We aimed to assess if the trend toward worse outcomes with right-sided tumors remained in the oligometastatic setting. Patients and methods We analyzed 31 patients treated at a single institution with stereotactic body radiotherapy for OMCC from 2011 to 2014 to assess the impact that primary tumor location had on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results Overall, patient local control was fair (66% at 2 y); however, distant control was only 37.4% at 2 years. The median OS was 2.4 years; the median PFS was 6.5 months. Patients with right-sided primary tumors had numerically worse median OS than those with left-sided or rectal primary tumors (1.4 vs. 3.7 y, P=0.09). Median PFS was significantly worse among those with right-sided primaries (2.9 vs. 10.8 mo, P=0.05). This held on multivariate analysis. Conclusions These results affirm that patients with OMCC have extended OS periods and that stereotactic body radiotherapy offers strong local control in these settings. We show that even in the oligometastatic setting those with right-sided primary tumors have worse outcomes relative to those with left-sided or rectal primary tumors. This suggests more aggressive treatment may be needed for those with oligometastatic right-sided colorectal cancer.
Does the Quality of the Plaintiffs' Law Firm Matter in Deal Litigation?

This Article examines how the stock market reacts to the filing of lawsuits against mergers and acquisitions targets as the quality of the plaintiffs’ law firm varies. Our primary dataset includes all cases of this type filed in the Delaware Chancery Court from November 2003–September 2008. We group the law firms that file these suits into higher and lower quality categories using several quantitative and qualitative measures. We hypothesize that target firm share value should reflect the likelihood that litigation will result in an increase in merger consideration. This effect is likely to depend, at least in part, on law firm quality. Our evidence is broadly consistent with this hypothesis, and we find similar results when we restrict the analysis to those cases filed several days after the announcement of the deal. Likewise, we find that the effect of law firm quality on firm value endures when we include cases filed after the beginning of the financial crisis. We discuss the implications of these results for debates about the value of corporate litigation.
Revisional Bariatric Surgery for Weight Regain and Refractory Complications in a Single MBSAQIP Accredited Center: What Are We Dealing with?

Revisional surgery is the fastest growing area in bariatric surgery, constituting 13.6% of all procedures performed as of 2015. This reflects a rising need to treat adverse sequelae of primary bariatric procedures. Despite the increase in revisions, their safety and efficacy remain controversial. The objective of this study is to review the experience of revisional bariatric surgery in our center and the relevant literature to date. We performed an IRB-approved review of prospectively collected data from all patients undergoing revisional bariatric surgery between 2012 and 2015. Due to patient heterogeneity, we divided subjects into two groups: patients who underwent surgery for weight regain (WR) and those who underwent surgery to address refractory complications (RC) related to their primary bariatric procedure. Demographics, indications, and outcomes of each group were compared using Fisher’s exact test, Mann-Whitney rank sums, and chi-square tests. We also divided WR patients based on their primary index procedure and analyzed them separately. We performed a total of 84 procedures over 4 years. Forty-three patients (53.6%) underwent surgery for WR and 41 (46.4%) for RC. The variety and distribution of primary bariatric procedures were gastric band (40%), gastric bypass (35.4%), sleeve gastrectomy (22%), and vertical banded gastroplasty (3.7%). The indications for revisional surgery due to RC included gastroesophageal reflux disease, internal hernia, gastro-gastric fistula, marginal ulcer, excess weight loss, and pain. Overall complication rate was 14.3% (three early, nine late); there was one leak. Five patients required a reoperation (5.9%; two early, three late). Excess weight loss varied from 31.5–79.1% 12 months after revision. Patients presenting to our center for revisional surgery do so for either WR or RC, most commonly following gastric banding. Revisional bariatric surgery can be performed with low complication rates and with acceptable 12-month weight loss, though not with the same safety as primary procedures.
Itchy skin region detection using hyperspectral imaging

Itch is the primary symptom of inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic eczema and psoriasis, chronic renal failure, and chronic hepatic failure. Itch, like pain, is a subjective symptom. Characterizing itchy skin and skin prone to itch will lead to better understanding of these symptoms and ultimately better diagnosis and treatment of the underlining disease. The goal of our study is to determine whether the itchy skin region can be detected by hyperspectral imaging. We used an imaging system equipped with liquid crystal tunable filter for collecting hyperspectral images. A halogen lamp was used to illuminate the region of interest. Images were taken from 650 nm to 1100 nm wavelength with 10 nm interval. The hyperspectral images were collected from the forearms of two male and two female subjects. An approximate 50 mm × 50 mm region of interest was marked on the forearms before imaging. The itch was mechanically induced. Imaging was performed for three conditions with a 99% Spectralon white diffuse reflectance target on the side: before inducing itch (normal region), after inducing itch (test region), and after removing itch (control region). Two methods were used to detect the itchy and nonitchy regions from the normalized hyperspectral data. The first method used a spectral distribution exploration method. The second method used a supervised classification method, more specifically, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. The spectral distribution exploration method did not detect any different spectral signature for itchy region. On the other hand, the SVM classifier detected the itchy region with the surrounding non-itchy region. These results demonstrated the feasibility of using hyperspectral imaging combined with classification algorithms for detecting itchy skin region.
Classification of Poorly Time Sampled Light Curves of Periodic Variable Stars

Classification of periodic variable light curves is important for scientific knowledge discovery and efficient use of telescopic resources for source follow-up. In practice, labeled light curves from catalogs with hundreds of flux measurements (the training set) may be used to classify curves from ongoing surveys with tens of flux measurements (the test set). Statistical classifiers generally assume that the probability of class given light curve features is the same for training and test sets. This assumption is unlikely to hold when the number of flux measurements per light curve varies widely between the two sets. We employ two methods to correct the problem—noisification and denoisification. With noisification we alter the training set to mimic the distribution of the test set and then construct a classifier on these altered data. With denoisification we construct a classifier on the well-sampled curves in the training set and probabilistically infer what poorly sampled curves in the test set would look like if we continued obtaining flux measurements. On periodic variable sources from a simulated data set and the OGLE survey, both of these methods outperform making no adjustments for training–test set differences.
Spectrum of findings in 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT and their significance in treatment planning for 90Y-microsphere radioembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

1081 Learning Objectives 1. Review the range of extra-hepatic distribution of intra-arterial 99mTc-MAA on SPECT CT with correlative anatomic imaging. 2. Understand the findings that would preclude or modify therapy with 90Y-microspheres and the morbidities associated with extra-hepatic placement of 90Y-microspheres. 3. Identify potential pitfalls related to 99mTc-MAA breakdown products as a cause of extra-hepatic uptake. The primary utility of 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT is to quantify lung shunt fractions and identify additional sites of extra-hepatic uptake in the pre-therapy evaluation for 90Y-microsphere radioembolization of the liver. After a review of 99mTc-MAA intra-arterial injection and SPECT/CT imaging technique, the evaluation of lung shunt fraction and it significance will be discussed. The potential morbidities from extra-hepatic distribution including radiation pneumonitis, gastrointestinal tract ulceration / bleeding and cholecystitis will be reviewed. Findings on 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT that may preclude the patient from receiving radioembolization will be identified. Multiple examples of extra-hepatic 99mTc-MAA distribution involving gallbladder, duodenum, stomach, diaphragmatic muscle and portal vein tumor thrombus will be displayed with extensive correlative fused and diagnostic CT imaging. The impact of extra-hepatic 99mTc-MAA identified by the nuclear physician on the treatment plan will be reviewed. This will include the role of prophylactic arterial bland arterial embolization / coiling with correlative arteriograms. Examples of pitfalls in extra-hepatic uptake including 99mTc-MAA breakdown products in thyroid, stomach and kidneys will be shown and potential technique changes to ameliorate these pitfalls will be discussed
Communicating Between the Public and Experts: Predictable Differences and Opportunities to Narrow Them

Communications between experts and the public are often fraught with misunderstandings and approached with trepidation by both groups. This chapter aims to improve these communications by providing readers with a better understanding of who the “public” and “experts” are, the unavoidable differences between experts and the public that can lead to misunderstandings and friction, and suggestions for bridging the public–expert gap.
Early Noh and Its Founders

Fourteenth-century records of noh plays are inspected. The first descriptions of plays come from mid-century. Subsequent interactions between intellectuals and playwrights are described, and their role in the refinement of the tradition is evaluated. The circumstances and plays of a number of actors and actor/playwrights active in the late fourteenth century are outlined, including those of Kan’ami, Kiami, Konparu Gonnokami, Kongō Gonnokami, and Enami Saemon Gorō.
Role of indentation depth and contact area on human perception of softness for haptic interfaces.

In engineering, the “softness” of an object, as measured by an indenter, manifests as two measurable parameters: (i) indentation depth and (ii) contact area. For humans, softness is not well defined, although it is believed that perception depends on the same two parameters. Decoupling their relative contributions, however, has not been straightforward because most bulk—“off-the-shelf”—materials exhibit the same ratio between the indentation depth and contact area. Here, we decoupled indentation depth and contact area by fabricating elastomeric slabs with precise thicknesses and microstructured surfaces. Human subject experiments using two-alternative forced-choice and magnitude estimation tests showed that the indentation depth and contact area contributed independently to perceived softness. We found an explicit relationship between the perceived softness of an object and its geometric properties. Using this approach, it is possible to design objects for human interaction with a desired level of perceived softness.
Heart Rate Fails to Predict White Collar Crime

This paper joins two strands of research: a focus on the influence of heart rate on antisocial behavior and the correlates of white-collar offending. With respect to the former, resting heart rate has been found to be one of the most replicable of all biological correlates of many different types of antisocial behavior and psychopathology. However, researchers studying the correlates of white-collar offending have only just begun to examine individual characteristics – and as of yet, have not examined the extent to which heart rate is a relevant correlate. Using data from a community sample of over a hundred males, this paper examines whether heart rate is associated with white-collar offending. Unlike other forms of antisocial behavior, the findings do not reveal a relationship between two different heart rate measures and white-collar offending. Directions for future research are noted.
Anthropogenic noise and the many acoustic modalities of terrestrial invertebrates

Anthropogenic noise is widely recognized as an issue of environmental concern. However, research to date has focused on the impacts of far-field airborne noise (i.e., pressure waves) on vertebrates while the impact of noise on invertebrates, and the other acoustic modalities they rely on, has received little attention. Although some terrestrial invertebrates use far-field sound for communication, the majority rely on near-field airborne and substrate-borne sound (i.e., particle motion and vibrations, respectively). We discuss what little information is known about the impact of anthropogenic noise on invertebrates and make predictions based on studies of invertebrate bioacoustics. Furthermore, we discuss the ways that noise in each acoustic modality (far-field airborne, near-field airborne, and substrate-borne) might affect communication of terrestrial invertebrates and highlight the most pressing lines of inquiry for future research.Anthropogenic noise is widely recognized as an issue of environmental concern. However, research to date has focused on the impacts of far-field airborne noise (i.e., pressure waves) on vertebrates while the impact of noise on invertebrates, and the other acoustic modalities they rely on, has received little attention. Although some terrestrial invertebrates use far-field sound for communication, the majority rely on near-field airborne and substrate-borne sound (i.e., particle motion and vibrations, respectively). We discuss what little information is known about the impact of anthropogenic noise on invertebrates and make predictions based on studies of invertebrate bioacoustics. Furthermore, we discuss the ways that noise in each acoustic modality (far-field airborne, near-field airborne, and substrate-borne) might affect communication of terrestrial invertebrates and highlight the most pressing lines of inquiry for future research.
A Review of Automatic Vehicle Following Systems

There has been considerable interest recently in the development of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Automatic vehicle following capability is central for CAVs; in this article, we provide a review of the critical issues in the longitudinal control design for automatic vehicle following systems (AVFS) employed by CAVs. This expository review differs from others in providing a review of underlying methodologies for design of AVFS and the impact of AVFS on traffic mobility and safety.
CLAMP and Zelda function together as pioneer transcription factors to promote Drosophila zygotic genome activation

Because zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is an essential process across metazoans, it is key to evolve multiple pioneer transcription factors (TFs) to protect organisms from loss of a single factor. Pioneer TF Zelda (ZLD) is the only known factor which increases accessibility of chromatin to promote ZGA in the early Drosophila embryo. However, many genomic loci remain accessible without ZLD and have GA-rich motifs. Therefore, we hypothesized that other pioneer TFs that function with ZLD have not yet been identified in early embryos, especially those that bind to GA-rich motifs, such as CLAMP (Chromatin-linked adaptor for Male-specific lethal MSL proteins). Here, we determine that CLAMP is a novel pioneer TF which interacts directly with nucleosomes, regulates zygotic genome transcription, promotes chromatin accessibility, and facilitates the binding of ZLD to promoters. Thus, the maternal factor CLAMP functions with ZLD as a pioneer TF to open chromatin and drive zygotic genome activation.
Crafting is So Hardcore: Masculinized Making in Gaming Representations of Labor

In this paper we examine the representation of crafts in video games, particularly in “crafting systems” – collections of mechanics that are described as crafting within a game's narrative. Real world crafting practitioners value creativity, expression, and mastery of material, but the act of crafting itself is often viewed by society as reproductive, feminized labor and therefore devalued. Because of this, crafting systems in games have been designed to more closely resemble masculinized, productive labor in the form of repetitive, manufacturing-like mechanics. These representational choices persist even across games lauded for their crafting systems, as our analysis demonstrates. Through an examination of both user-generated tutorials and game mechanics for three games that frequently appear on “best crafting games” lists, we show that games persist in devaluing the reproductive labor of crafting, reducing creative expression and material mastery to marginal and repetitive tasks while catering to the palates of masculine gamers by emphasizing stats-driven progression rather than creative making.
Gifted Rural Writers Explore Place in Narrative Fiction Stories

Place-based writing practices can enrich a standardized curriculum while increasing student engagement and helping students improve essential writing skills. In particular, place, which includes both the geographic surroundings and the local community with whom one shares a common space, can be a point of access to the language arts curriculum for gifted rural students, especially because place-based literacy practices can demonstrate that students’ place-based knowledge and interests are valuable assets they bring to their learning experiences. This article examines narrative fiction stories written by 237 gifted rural fourth graders as the culminating project of a semester-length fiction unit of a place-based language arts enrichment curriculum to identify how gifted rural fourth graders describe setting in narrative fiction stories and how they reflect a sense of place in those descriptions. Students’ descriptions of settings were explicated to note how they represented spaces both similar to and different from the rural communities in which they lived. Thematic findings reveal rich descriptions of nature, depictions of close-knit rural communities, and feelings of displacement among story characters who find themselves in unfamiliar spaces.
Identifying Methylation Patterns in Dental Pulp Aging: Application to Age-at-Death Estimation in Forensic Anthropology.

Age-at-death estimation constitutes one of the key parameters for identification of human remains in forensic investigations. However, for applications in forensic anthropology, many current methods are not sufficiently accurate for adult individuals, leading to chronological age estimates erring by ±10 years. Based on recent trends in aging studies, DNA methylation has great potential as a solution to this problem. However, there are only a few studies that have been published utilizing DNA methylation to determine age from human remains. The aim of the present study was to expand the range of this work by analyzing DNA methylation in dental pulp from adult individuals. Healthy erupted third molars were extracted from individuals aged 22–70. DNA from pulp was isolated and bisulfite converted. Pyrosequencing was the chosen technique to assess DNA methylation. As noted in previous studies, we found that ELOVL2 and FHL2 CpGs played a role in age estimation. In addition, three new markers were evaluated—NPTX2, KLF14, and SCGN. A set of CpGs from these five loci was used in four different multivariate regression models, providing a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) between predicted and chronological age of 1.5–2.13 years. The findings from this research can improve age estimation, increasing the accuracy of identification in forensic anthropology.
Cytotoxicity analysis of pre- and post-hurricane harvey soil samples collected from greater houston bayous.

Abstract Rapid urbanization, anthropogenic pollution and frequent flooding events are affecting the soil and water quality along the streams and bayous of Houston. Soil acts as sink and reservoir of heavy metals and nutrients affecting human and animal health. The objectives of the study are 1) to analyze the effects of the metal and nutrient concentration of bayou flood plain surface soil samples on the gut cell cytotoxicity and 2) to evaluate the spatial and temporal difference in soil contamination on cell viability of colon cancer (HT-29) and normal colon epithelial (CCD 841 CoN) cell lines. To evaluate soil contamination between pre- and post-hurricane (Summer and Fall) conditions in six Bayous (Brays, Buffalo, Halls, Hunting, Greens and White Oak Bayous) of Harris County, Texas, in vitro bioassay analysis was applied to soil extracts. The MTT assay determined that, with increase in concentration of Bayou soil from 12.5% to 100%, the viability of CCD 841 CoN and HT-29 cells decreased significantly, across all sampling locations during both summer and fall seasons. Among all the bayous, the viability of CCD 841 CoN cells in summer and fall followed the pattern of White Oak > Greens > Halls > Brays Bayou, where the viability of cells exposed to White Oak soils was 3–4 times higher than cells exposed to Brays Bayou soil at 100% soil concentration. The viability of HT-29 cells in both seasons followed the pattern of Greens > White Oak > Halls > Brays Bayou, where the viability of cells exposed to Greens Bayou soil was more than 3–4 times higher than the cells exposed to Brays Bayou soil at 100% concentration. The higher concentration of metals and nutrients such as P, Zn, Cd, and Cu might have contributed to the significant cell lethality in Brays Bayou samples compared to other locations.
Role of Office-Based Vaginoscopy in a Tertiary Care Center

AbstractIntroduction:The detection of vaginal mesh/suture exposure can be challenging due to pain and varied location. We reviewed our experience with office-based vaginoscopy to evaluate these wom...
Hypothesis testing in sparse weighted stochastic block model

Community detection is a fundamental task in network data mining. Various algorithms have been proposed to detect the communities of a network. However, the output of these algorithms are meaningful only if community structure exists in the network. It is necessary to statistically test the presence of community structure before applying any community detection algorithms. The existing algorithms or testing procedures mainly focus on unweighted graph, that is, the edge presence or absence is coded as a binary variable. However, most real-world networks have weights. Recently, several algorithms have been devised to detect communities in weighted networks. In this paper, we consider the fundamental problem whether community structure exists in a weighted network. Specifically, we propose a test statistic based on the number of weighted triangles and edges, derive its limiting distribution under the null hypothesis and analyze its power. The simulation results and real data application show that the proposed test can achieve high power.
Nicotine, Cocaine and Amphetamine Share Several Common Mechanisms of c-fos Induction in the Striatum: Implications for the Functions of the Striatum

The striatum (nucleus accumbens and the caudatoputamen) receives dense dopaminergic input form several subdivisions of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) (Fallon, 1988). Different human neurological disorders and varieties of animals models that have manipulated the striatal dopaminergic innervation have suggested that dopamine plays a major role in integrating the various inputs and the neurotransmitter systems intrinsic to the striatum. Dysfunctions of the dopaminergic input to the striatum result in a complex spectrum of hypo- and hyperkinetic as well as brady- and hyperphrenic syndromes. Our understanding of the functions of the basal ganglia clearly depends on better definition of the role played by the dopamine in the striatum.
Cytoplasmic tail deletion of T cell receptor (TCR) beta-chain results in its surface expression as glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored polypeptide on mature T cells in the absence of TCR-alpha.

Surface expression of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) in mature T cells requires the association of a variable heterodimer (alpha.beta or gamma.delta) with six invariant CD3 polypeptides (gamma, delta, epsilon-epsilon, zeta-zeta, or zeta-eta). We described here that deletion of the cytoplasmic tail polypeptide sequence (Lys-Lys-Lys-Asn-Ser) of TCR beta-chain (beta CT) results in expression of the truncated beta-chain on the surface of a mature T cell hybridoma line, in the absence of TCR-alpha, as a glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored monomeric polypeptide. The GPI-anchored TCR-beta CT is not associated with CD3-epsilon and is incapable of conventional signal transduction. Association with TCR-alpha prevents beta CT from GPI-linkage formation. The alpha beta CT heterodimer binds the CD3 polypeptides, and the resultant TCR alpha beta CT/CD3 complex is capable of signal transduction. Our data show that a signal sequence for GPI-linkage formation is present in TCR-beta, and this alternative membrane anchoring mechanism can be utilized by beta-chain polypeptide lacking the CT sequence. We conclude therefore that in the absence of TCR-alpha expression, the beta-chain CT sequence plays an essential function in hindering GPI-linkage formation, thereby preventing escape of incompletely assembled TCR beta-chain to the cell surface of mature T cells.
Change-Point Detection in Angular Data

We suggest a modification of the CUSUM procedure to detect changes in angular data. We obtain limit theorems for the test statistics under the no change null hypothesis. We discuss the estimation of the times of changes and show that the binary segmentation provides the times of all changes. Our method is applied to a data set on the activity of a pulsar.
The keys that unlock entrepreneurialism in employees: … and some examples of firms that use them successfully

Purpose – This paper aims to review current information and research concerning the entrepreneurial spirit of employees. It provides a brief overview of entrepreneurial behavior, how it contributes to organizational success and what tends to motivate it. It offers suggestions for practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – It examines research and opinion for the past several years and summarizes it to help practitioners to stimulate entrepreneurial spirit in organizations. Findings – It reveals that 5-8 per cent of employees will eventually leave to set up their own business, while an equivalent percentage creates and develops products, services, cost-savings and the like to benefit the firm and does not leave the organization. Both groups share an entrepreneurial spirit and are driven to innovate and create. Practical implications – It reveals that organization managers can choose to encourage or deflate the entrepreneurial spirit through various means. Social implications – It explains that society as...
Recent advances in enrichment and separation strategies for mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics.

Due to the significance of protein phosphorylation in various biological processes and signaling events, new analytical techniques for enhanced phosphoproteomics have been rapidly introduced in the recent years. The combinatorial use of the phospho-specific enrichment techniques and prefractionation methods prior to MS analysis enable comprehensive profiling of the phosphoproteome and facilitate deciphering the critical roles that phosphorylation plays in signaling pathways in various biological systems. This review places special emphasis on the recent five-year (2009-2013) advances for enrichment and separation techniques that have been utilized for phosphopeptides prior to MS analysis.
Temporal Coding in Neural Populations

For decades it has been assumed that the currency of computation in the brain is the rate at which neurons fire all-or-none action potentials. Until recently. Now neuroscientists are considering whether a more complex "temporal code" may really be the coin of the neural realm. In his Perspective, Fetz brings us up to date on the evidence for these two ideas, discussing how evidence from a report in this issue by Riehle et al. tips the scales in favor of temporal coding.
Palladium-catalyzed sintering of molybdenum paste applied to multilayer substrate fabrication

This paper describes a novel method for densifying the surfaces of external, thick film molybdenum circuit features of multilayer ceramic substrates using palladium as a sintering catalyst. Such dense sintering of the surface effectively prevents the formation of undesirable pools of glass on the surfaces of the external features, making it possible to perform contact-probe electrical testing prior to plating and to nickel plate the molybdenum features without the customary cleaning steps needed to clear the pools of glass. >
Double-stranded RNA activates novel factors that bind to the interferon-stimulated response element.

Abstract Infection of cells with adenovirus or transfection of cells with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) activates transcription of the alpha/beta interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Induction of ISG expression by adenovirus appears to be mediated through the same DNA target that is responsive to alpha/beta interferons, the interferon-stimulated response element (ISRE). Transcriptional induction by alpha/beta interferons has been shown previously to be mediated by the activation of a latent cytoplasmic transcription factor, ISGF3, that translocates to the nucleus and binds to the ISRE. However, ISG expression induced by adenovirus or dsRNA appears to be mediated by unique dsRNA-activated factors (DRAFs) that bind to the ISRE. The activation of these preexisting factors by dsRNA does not require new protein synthesis. Two DRAFs, DRAF1 and DRAF2, have been identified in our studies as ISRE-binding complexes in gel mobility shift assays. The ISRE-binding specificity of DRAF1 is similar to that of ISGF3; however, the ISRE-binding specificity of DRAF2 is distinct. Activation of DRAF1 and DRAF2 is independent of interferon action since it occurs in cells that are nonresponsive to interferon and in cells that lack the alpha/beta interferon locus. The activation pathway of DRAF1 and DRAF2 is blocked by the protein kinase inhibitors staurosporine and genistein. This is analogous to the interferon signal transduction pathway and suggests that phosphorylation, possibly tyrosine phosphorylation, is involved in activation of these factors.
Playground conflicts: Everyday opportunities for children to manage conflict

School playgrounds provide everyday opportunities for children to learn about conflict and its resolution. A premise of this chapter is that many highly effective responses to children’s conflicts are those that enhance the physical setting of school playgrounds, refine the supervisory practices of adults on playgrounds and align playground practices with children’s emerging social interactions. In particular, this chapter draws upon four counterintuitive findings from developmental research describing children’s playground conflicts with their classmates. First, conflict and even aggression occur relatively infrequently in fewer than 2 % of playground interactions on playgrounds. Second, peer conflict is not opposite to peer friendships but appears within friendships. Third, adult observers have difficulty discriminating between actual conflict and the rough and tumble play of children on playgrounds. Fourth, playground conflict is not necessarily destructive. Thus, this chapter emphasizes practices that guide children through the resolution of conflict rather than practices that prevent conflict altogether.
A dynamic oscillatory test that fulfills the objective of the elastic recovery test for asphalt binders

The ductilometer is currently being used by the asphalt pavement community for determination of elastic recovery of asphalt materials. Briquet specimens are pulled apart at 5 cm/min, held after a specified elongation, then severed at the center and allowed to recover undisturbed for 1 h with the idea of getting a measure of the ability of the asphalt material to recover after imposing a deformation. Materials with poor ability to recover are known to lend themselves to permanent deformation resulting in rutting of pavements. The Superpave specification parameter |G*|/sinδ recommended by the Strategic Highway Research Program was found not to relate well with observed rutting of mixtures that used polymer-modified asphalts with increased elastic behavior. This led researchers to seek methods to refine this parameter. While refinement efforts have been ongoing, there has been an inclination on the part of a number of State Departments of Transportation to use the elastic recovery test to complement the Superpave specification tests. However, the elastic recovery test is truly not very elegant and accurate, and often fails to discriminate between the behaviors of differently modified binders. The present work suggests a dynamic oscillatory test using the dynamic shear rheometer DSR that would fulfill the objectives of the elastic recovery test. The elastic recovery term and the condition under which it is determined from DSR data are selected by observation of master plots of a wide variety of asphalt binders. The criterion is developed by observing the ability of the selected term in best discriminating asphalt binders for their elastic recovery behavior. It is recommended that the term cosδ determined at a temperature T = 82°C and frequency ω = 1 radian/s be used to assess the elastic recovery of asphalt materials. Cosδ (T = 82°C, ω = 1) > 0.04 is recommended as the criterion for acceptance of required elastic recovery behavior.
Hydrolase activity of an extracellular depolymerase from Aspergillus fumigatus with bacterial and synthetic polyesters

An extracellular depolymerase produced by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus was found to have hydrolytic activity towards both bacterial and synthetic polyesters. The enzyme catalysed the hydrolysis of the bacterial polyesters: poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB/HV) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB/4HB) over the entire range of compositions. In addition, this fungal depolymerase also catalysed the hydrolysis of synthetic, aliphatic polyesters including poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA), poly(ethylene succinate) (PES), poly(1,4-tetramethylene adipate) (PTMA) and several commercial poly(ester urethanes) with the trade name “Bionolle.” However, the enzyme was inactive for other synthetic polyesters, including poly([R]-lactide), (P[R]-LA), poly(5-valerolactone) (PVL) and poly(6-caprolactone) (PCL). The results on enzyme specificity and activity, and the types of degradation products obtained, were analyzed by molecular modelling. The analysis indicated that there is a relationship between the activity of the depolymerase, as indicated by the relative rates of hydrolysis of the different polyesters, and the molecular dimensions of their repeating units.
The sound of motion in spoken language: visual information conveyed by acoustic properties of speech

Language is generally viewed as conveying information through symbols whose form is arbitrarily related to their meaning. This arbitrary relation is often assumed to also characterize the mental representations underlying language comprehension. We explore the idea that visuo-spatial information can be analogically conveyed through acoustic properties of speech and that such information is integrated into an analog perceptual representation as a natural part of comprehension. Listeners heard sentences describing objects, spoken at varying speaking rates. After each sentence, participants saw a picture of an object and judged whether it had been mentioned in the sentence. Participants were faster to recognize the object when motion implied by speaking rate matched the motion implied by the picture. Results suggest that visuo-spatial referential information can be analogically conveyed and represented.
Kinetics of silica oligomerization and nanocolloid formation as a function of pH and ionic strength at 25°C

Abstract Rate laws reported for the oligomerization of silica in natural environments are often contradictory, and the kinetics of monosilicic acid condensation are poorly understood. Here we present rate expressions that systematically describe the initial oligomerization of silica in terms of concentration of initial silica, ionic strength, and pH for a natural brine solution. The oligomerization of silica in dilute aqueous solutions was examined in solutions with ionic strengths of 0.01 and 0.24 molal, from pH 3 to 11, and with initial silica concentrations of 4.2, 12.5, and 20.8 millimolal (250, 750, and 1250 ppm SiO2 respectively). The decrease in concentration of molybdate-reactive silica was monitored over time to determine the extent of oligomerization. This decrease in concentration of molybdate-reactive silica is accompanied by the appearance of a transient population of nanocolloidal particles with diameter ∼3 nm, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The oligomerization rate increases as pH approaches near neutral and as ionic strength increases. Early in the reaction where the concentration of molybdate-reactive silica, [SiO2]n≤3, is assumed to equal the concentration of monosilicic acid, [H4SiO4], the rate of change of monosilicic acid as a function of time, R, shows a fourth-order dependence: R = k 4 [ H 4 S i O 4 ] 4 Furthermore, the log of the rate constant (k4, millimolal−3 s−1) varies linearly with pH according to log k4 = m pH + log ko, where ko is the rate constant at pH 0 and m is an empiric constant. The value of m is positive below pH 7 and negative above pH 7. The observed fourth-order rate dependence with respect to [H4SiO4] is consistent with formation of a critical nucleus with four silica groups during the oligomerization of silica into metastable nanocolloidal silica. The sensitivity of the reaction rate constant, k4, to ionic strength and to silica concentration as a function of pH suggests that the critical species (in our model, a cyclic tetramer) chemically behaves as a bulk surface. In the brine solution employed in this study at 25°C, nanocolloids are relatively stable at low pH and at low ionic strength, and thus such colloids would be expected to occur in natural solutions even as they approach steady-state equilibrium with amorphous silica. The form of the log rate (oligomerization) vs. pH curve is roughly the inverse of the form of the log rate (dissolution)-pH curve for feldspar dissolution, and therefore may also be indicative of the importance of silica condensation reactions during feldspar dissolution.
Electron Wedges for Radiation Therapy

Abstract Purpose: Brain tumors can be advantageously treated with electron over photon radiation, by exploiting the rapid fall-off in dose with depth. This advantage could be further enhanced by utilizing multiple electron beams. However, in some beam configurations, wedged dose profiles would be necessary for the dose uniformity. Unlike photons, shaped pieces of material placed in electron beam severely degrade the energy, give additional scattering and, therefore, are suboptimal. The purpose of this study was to create wedged electron fields, using intensity modulation. The combination of electron wedges enables a more uniform coverage of brain tumors with a reduced dose to normal tissue. Methods and Materials: Intensity modulation was performed for 10 to 50 MeV electrons using a narrow scanning elementary beam of a racetrack Microtron accelerator, delivering radiation pulses with coordinates and intensities prescribed by a custom scan matrix. Dispensing more pulses (or longer pulses) within the field to increase the local dose, one can sharpen the penumbra at depth and generate wedged dose distributions of arbitrary angle as well as many other desired profiles. We modulated the electron beams, measured dose distributions using film in an anthropomorphic phantom, and compared the results with conventional techniques. Results: Intensity modulation of electron beams decreases the 50–90% penumbra at depth by 40% and increases the flatness by 80%. Wedged profiles at depth can be created for any angle up to about 70°, depending on the beam energy. Multiple modulated electron beams give smaller 20–70% but larger 70–100% isodose regions than photon beams. Conclusions: Electron beams can improve dose distributions in brain compared to the same number of photon beams, reducing the 20–70% isodoses region in normal tissue by 30%. Intensity modulation significantly improves the dose distribution from combined electron beams providing a sharper penumbra, better conformity, and reduced margin.
The Relative Accuracy of Allocating Service Departments' Cost to Production Departments under the Step Method

Abstract Firms should allocate service department costs (i.e., human resources, information technology, etc.) to production departments to, among other things, avoid possible significant distortions in final product costs, monitor efficiency of resource utilization, assist in determining appropriate internal transfer prices, and satisfy cost-based contractual obligations. Defense contractors and high-tech firms are good examples of firms who have difficulty managing these allocations. Most of the literature regarding service department cost allocation has been tied to traditional-based costing methods. However, when there is significant cross-servicing among these departments, firms utilizing an activity-based costing system can also experience significant product cost distortions if service department costs are not appropriately assigned to activity cost pools (Milne, 1997). Although spreadsheet software has allowed the reciprocal method, regarded as the most accurate service department cost allocation m...
Infections in the diabetic patient: the role of immune dysfunction and pathogen virulence factors.

It is a common belief that certain infections occur more frequently in patients with diabetes mellitus than in nondiabetics. In some infections, poor diabetic control is strongly linked. Diabetics comprise 50%-70% of all patients who undergo nontraumatic foot or leg amputations, the overwhelming majority of which are necessitated by infection and necrosis of soft tissue and/or bone. Imputed host defense abnormalities include defective immune responses (e.g., white blood cell function, granuloma formation), peripheral neuropathies, impaired distal arterial supply, and problems in "control" of the diabetic state eventuating in catabolic metabolism. Increased bacterial translocation as a source of the causative bacteria is another potential entry site. Possible virulence factors of the invading organisms include polymicrobial synergism, glycocalyx formation, and inoculum size. Attention to the principles of preventive education, vascular evaluation, diabetes management, and adequate debridement maximize healing potential.
A carbene route to dehydro[m.n.]paracyclophanes

Abstract Pyrolysis of the [2.2]paracyclophanyl diazomethane (1) at 270–300°C led to the product of carbon-hydrogen insertion (2) and cis -1,2-dehydro[3.2]paracyclophane (3).
Buckling of Axially Compressed Circular Cylindrical Shells at Stresses Smaller Than the Classical Critical Value

Abstract : Closed-form solutions are given of the linear Donnell equations defining the buckling of thin-walled circular cylindrical shells subjected to uniform axial compression. In addition to the classical simple support conditions requiring the vanishing of the radial displacement, the axial bending moment resultant, the axial additional stress and the circumferential displacement, three other, equally justifiable, simple support conditions are defined and studied in the case of the semi-infinite shell. Two of them yield buckling stresses amounting to about one-half the classical critical stress. (Author)