cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parathyroid hormone increases circulating levels of fibronectin in vivo: modulating effect of ovariectomy.

To explore the effect of PTH on circulating levels of fibronectin (FN), adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with Alzet minipumps prepared to deliver 7 pmol/h·kg BW of either human PTH (1–34) or human PTH (1–84). Both forms of the hormone led to significant and progressive increases in circulating levels of FN over the 72-h study period (P < 0.001). However, at every time point, circulating levels of FN with human PTH (hPTH) (1–84) infusion were significantly higher than with hPTH (1–34), such that at the end of the infusion, mean levels in the hPTH (1–34) group were 32.2 ± 1.4 ng/ml, in the hPTH (1–84) group 93.8 ± 5.4 ng/ml, and in the vehicle infused group 14.6 ± 0.7 ng/ml. The greater agonist efficacy of hPTH (1–84) was not explained by differences in circulating levels of the hormones, and both forms of the hormone were equipotent at stimulating cAMP production by ROS 17/2.8 cells. However, hPTH (1–84) remained a more effective agonist than hPTH (1–34) at stimulating FN production in these...
Viral Infectivity of Albumin and Plasma Protein Fraction

Original research, reviews, and case reports discussing viral infectivity of blood- and plasma-derived products were reviewed to determine the potential viral infectivity of human serum albumin (HSA) and plasma protein fraction (PPF). Data concerning viral infectivity viral screening and inactivation procedures, and viral outbreaks associated with blood and plasma products were extracted and evaluated for pertinence to HSA and PPF. The starting material used for fractionation, the manufacturing process, postmanufacturing handling, and immunocompetence of HSA or PPF recipients were assessed to determine risk of symptomatic viral disease after transfusion. Both HSA and PPF are manufactured with pasteurization procedures that have led to an excellent viral safety record based on 50 years of clinical use. One outbreak of hepatitis B was associated with PPF as a result of an unreliable manufacturing process that has been corrected. The pasteurization process is effective in eradicating known viral pathogens when good manufacturing practices are followed. Continued surveillance of such products is warranted for viruses not included in routine screening procedures and for those that are resistant to current inactivation methods.
Intra-articular tibiofemoral injection of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug has no detrimental effects on joint mechanics in a rat model.

Administration of intra-articular medications, including corticosteroids and analgesics, is common clinical practice for knee pathology and dysfunction. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are another category of medication commonly prescribed for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies demonstrated the efficacy of injectable NSAIDs in the treatment of intra-articular pathology and postoperative analgesia. However, little data exist regarding the safety of intra-articular injection, despite the increase in its application. Therefore, we investigated the effects of intra-articular NSAID injection on articular cartilage, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and joint function in the rat. Sixty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into either saline (SAL) or ketorolac (NSAID) tibiofemoral single injection treatment groups. Animals were euthanized at 2, 7, 28, and 84 days post-injection for histological and mechanical analyses. Additionally, a subset of animals underwent longitudinal ambulatory evaluation to determine joint functional properties. We hypothesized that intra-articular ketorolac injection would result in no detrimental mechanical, histological, or functional changes. No differences were reported between the NSAID and SAL groups in any of the parameters measured at any time point, demonstrating the potential safety of intra-articular NSAID administration. Therefore, NSAID injection could be further considered for clinical application in humans. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:1512–1519, 2014.
Response to Ledford and Sperber

OVER the last decade, historians have made steady inroads into the fre? quently static social sciences as they are trying to understand the changing post-Cold War order and the even more rapidly changing global and domestic political economies. Such softening of discipHnary bound? aries is also observable in the other direction. Jonathan Sperber's work on nine? teenth-century electoral politics and Kenneth Ledford's study on German lawyers offer two examples among many of historians borrowing concepts and methods from the social sciences.1 Yet, these encouraging signs of discipHnary trespassing cannot mask the fact that these two disciplines continue only infrequently to publish in each others' journals, intelligently review each others' works, or jointly reflect on the payoffs of interdisciplinary scholarship. Given this limited dialogue, it is a particular pleasure to reply to two such thoughtful and constructive respondents. In subtly tackling the problems inherent in comparing, Kenneth Ledford ventures into the disciplinary borderlands of history and the social sciences while Jonathan Sperber stays more closely in the historical corner and ? to use Ledford's apt characterization of his coUeagues ? "picks cautionary holes in the appHcability" of comparisons. Let me begin with the issue of comparison since it is Ledford's central theme and Sperber aUudes to it on two occasions. Ledford nicely explicates the pro? fessional disincentives and epistemological qualms underlying the historians' reluctance to compare. I think Ledford is correct with respect to cross-national comparisons but I wonder whether he is not selling historians short, given their frequent comparisons across multiple points in time. Such so-caUed longitudinal comparisons structure Sperber's analysis of quadrennial voting choices in Imperial Germany, Ledford's study of the German bar associations in Imperial and Weimar Germany, and many other historical studies. The question there? fore is not whether one discipline compares while the other does not; but
LIKELIHOOD RATIO TESTS FOR RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TWO COVARIANCE MATRICES

Abstract : Likelihood ratio tests for hypotheses on relationships between two population covariance matrices Sigma 1 and Sigma 2 are derived on the basis of the sample covariance matrices having Wishart distributions. The specific hypotheses considered are (1) Sigma 2 = sigma 2 Sigma 1, (2) Sigma 2 = gamma + sigma 2 Sigma 1, (3) Sigma 2 = gamma + Sigma 1 where gamma may be n.n.d. or arbitrary and the rank of gamma is less than that of Sigma 1. Some applications of these tests are given.
Experimental results for adaptive sidelobe cancellation techniques applied to an HF array

The authors describe an experimental analysis of adaptive array processing techniques conducted using a 16-element high frequency (HF) array. The results demonstrate the ability of these techniques to cancel both narrow-bandwidth interference and wide-bandwidth noise. The effects of calibration errors and the nonstationary HF channel on beamforming and constrained adaptive processing are discussed. The HF channel will support both beamforming and constrained processing over short time intervals. However, for longer periods robust adaptive array processing techniques may be required. Two robust methods are described, the diagonal loading algorithm and a principal components projection method. It is shown that adaptive array processing algorithms can be used in conjunction with a matched filter to extract a spread-spectrum signal from interference. >
Lupus Nephritis: Is the Kidney Biopsy Currently Necessary in the Management of Lupus Nephritis?

Most patients with SLE develop kidney disease related to this systemic underlying disease process. Lupus nephritis is an important cause of morbidity and even mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus nephritis has diverse morphologic manifestations with varying clinical presentations and consequences. The pathogeneses involve immune complexes, which can deposit anywhere in the kidney, and other mechanisms, including endothelial injury, podocytopathy, and tubulointerstitial injury. Treatment and prognosis accordingly range from excellent even with only observation with minimal mesangial deposits, to kidney failure despite aggressive immunosuppression in patients with severe proliferative disease. Renal biopsy plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of the specific form of lupus nephritis in any patient. However, the role of the renal biopsy in prediction of outcome, treatment, and prognosis has been controversial. We will review the current classification of lupus nephritis and the value of renal biopsy in the management of these patients.
Psyched About Psychology Internet Resources

ABSTRACT What resources does the reference librarian use to assist people conducting research in the vast field of psychology? This article surveys resources, both free and proprietary, which can help the reference librarian assist students and faculty. Included in this article are descriptions of proprietary and freely available websites (databases, encyclopedias, dictionaries, web megasites, test information, and yearbooks); Sage: the UCSD Library's gateway to the Web; and psychology research guides.
Transnational Disorders: Returned Migrants at Oaxaca's Psychiatric Hospital

This article examines experiences of returned migrants seeking mental health care at the public psychiatric hospital in Oaxaca, Mexico. Approximately one-third of the hospital's patients have migration experience, and many return to Oaxaca due to mental health crises precipitated by conditions of structural vulnerability and “illegality” in the United States. Once home, migrants, their families, and their doctors struggle to interpret and allay these “transnational disorders”—disorders structurally produced and personally experienced within the borders of more than one country. Considering how space and time shape illness and treatment among transnational migrants, I contend that a critical phenomenology of illegality must incorporate migrant experience and political economy on both sides of the border before, during, and after migration.
Ocular surface health during 30-day continuous wear: rigid gas-permeable versus silicone hydrogel hyper-O2 transmitted contact lenses.

Author(s): Lin, Meng C; Yeh, Thao N; Graham, Andrew D; Truong, Tan; Hsiao, Carol; Wei, Guan; Louie, Audrey | Abstract: PurposeTo determine the effects on corneal epithelial permeability and ocular response of 30 nights of continuous wear (CW) of gas permeable (GP) and silicone hydrogel (SiH) contact lenses.MethodsNinety-one subjects successfully completed 30 days of CW of either GP (n = 42) or SiH (n = 49) contact lenses. Epithelial permeability (P(dc)) was measured by scanning fluorometer at an afternoon (PM) baseline session and again the next morning (AM). One randomly selected eye of each subject was patched overnight and the patch removed immediately before the AM visit. P(dc) measurements and ocular examinations were conducted at baseline and after 30 days of CW.ResultsEpithelial permeability increased significantly after 30 days of CW in the patched eyes of the GP group (P = 0.022) and in the unpatched eyes of the SiH group (P = 0.004). The increase was driven primarily by the Asian subjects in each group (GP, P = 0.015; SiH, P = 0.001). There was no significant increase in either lens group in the non-Asian subjects. Multivariate models suggest that the change in AM P(dc) from baseline to 30 days of CW was also related to lens type (P = 0.035), time awake before measurement (P = 0.001), palpebral aperture size (P = 0.003), lens deposits (P = 0.020), and horizontal lens bearing (P = 0.003).ConclusionsSubclinical increases in epithelial permeability can be caused by contact lens CW, despite the elimination of hypoxia. GP lenses permit recovery of the epithelium more quickly than do SiH lenses. Asians appear to be more susceptible to contact lens-induced epithelial changes than do non-Asians.
Prediction of physical protein–protein interactions

Many essential cellular processes such as signal transduction, transport, cellular motion and most regulatory mechanisms are mediated by protein–protein interactions. In recent years, new experimental techniques have been developed to discover the protein–protein interaction networks of several organisms. However, the accuracy and coverage of these techniques have proven to be limited, and computational approaches remain essential both to assist in the design and validation of experimental studies and for the prediction of interaction partners and detailed structures of protein complexes. Here, we provide a critical overview of existing structure-independent and structure-based computational methods. Although these techniques have significantly advanced in the past few years, we find that most of them are still in their infancy. We also provide an overview of experimental techniques for the detection of protein–protein interactions. Although the developments are promising, false positive and false negative results are common, and reliable detection is possible only by taking a consensus of different experimental approaches. The shortcomings of experimental techniques affect both the further development and the fair evaluation of computational prediction methods. For an adequate comparative evaluation of prediction and high-throughput experimental methods, an appropriately large benchmark set of biophysically characterized protein complexes would be needed, but is sorely lacking.
In Vitro Release and Diffusion Studies of Promethazine Hydrochloride from Polymeric Dermatological Bases Using Cellulose Membrane and Hairless Mouse Skin

The study was designed to investigate the feasibility of developing a transdermal drug dosage form of promethazine hydrochloride (PMH). The in vitro release and diffusion characteristics of PMH from various dermatological polymeric bases were studied using cellulose membrane and hairless mouse skin as the diffusion barriers. These included polyethylene glycol (PEG), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), cross-linked microcrystalline cellulose, and carboxyl methyl cellulose sodium (Avicel® CL-611), and a modified hydrophilic ointment USP. In addition, the effects of several additive ingredients known to enhance the drug release from topical formulations were evaluated. The general rank order for the drug release from these formulations using cellulose membrane was observed to be PEG > HMPC > Avicel CL-611 > hydrophilic ointment base. The inclusion of the additives had little or no effect on the drug diffusion from these bases, except for the hydrophilic ointment formulation containing 15% ethanol, which pr...
The Relative Frequency of "Dementia of Unknown Etiology" Increases With Age and Is Nearly 50% in Nonagenarians

Context With the recent change in pathological criteria for Alzheimer disease (AD), a group of patients has emerged who do not meet pathological criteria for any well-characterized degenerative dementias. Whether these unclassified patients have vascular dementia or some other form of dementia is not known. Objective To determine the clinical characteristics, pathological substrate, and relative frequency of dementia not caused by well-characterized degenerative dementias. Design/Setting Clinicopathological study of a prospectively observed sample of elderly nondemented and demented subjects recruited from our urban community. Methods In our series of 128 subjects with prospective neuropsychological evaluations as well as neuropathology, we identified 35 clinically nondemented subjects and 20 demented patients who did not meet pathological criteria for well-characterized degenerative dementias such as AD or dementia with Lewy bodies. The 20 demented patients were grouped together under the term dementia of unknown etiology (DUE). We compared clinical, genetic, neuropsychological, pathological, and neurochemical characteristics of the nondemented group, patients with DUE, and 28 patients with AD and no other pathological abnormality. Results Mean age at death for patients with DUE was 89.1 ± 5.8 years compared with 79.9 ± 11.4 years for AD ( P Conclusions A significant percentage of demented patients older than 80 years do not meet pathological criteria for AD or dementia with Lewy bodies. Hippocampal sclerosis and leukoencephalopathy are common in these patients but rare in clinically nondemented subjects.
Effects of Catheter Ablation of “Asymptomatic” Frequent Ventricular Premature Complexes in Patients With Reduced (<48%) Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Frequent ventricular premature complexes (VPCs), particularly those without troublesome palpitations, are often regarded as a benign arrhythmia and are not treated other than with reassurance. However, VPCs can contribute to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the absence of symptoms. The present study was designed to investigate whether catheter ablation of VPCs can improve LV dysfunction in patients with and without troublesome palpitations. Of 80 consecutive patients who underwent catheter ablation of frequent VPCs, 24 (aged 60 ± 15 years) were found to have a reduced LV ejection fraction at baseline (
Functional group diversity by ruthenium-catalyzed olefin cross-metathesis

Ruthenium-catalyzed olefin cross-metathesis tolerates a wide range of functional groups, including phosphine-boranes, sulfides, amines, phenols, and oxazolines. The high functional group tolerance allows for the use of an olefin as a linchpin for the synthesis of a variety of bi-, tri-, and tetradentate chiral ligands with a high degree of functional group diversity. The increasing necessity for the synthesis of diverse libraries of compounds demands the development of methods that tolerate a wide range of functional groups. The formation of carbon-carbon bonds by olefin metathesis (1) offers a powerful method for the creation of chemical diversity (2). In particular, olefin cross-metathesis (CM) can provide access to alkenes bearing a wide range of functional groups (3). However, the reaction has generally been limited to olefins in which functional groups that may behave as ligands for the catalyst are absent. Herein are detailed our studies on the use of heteroatom containing olefins in the cross-metathesis reaction and applications of this method to the generation of a variety of 2-oxazolylphenol-derived tridentate chiral ligands. The study was initiated by the observation that ruthenium catalyst 1 readily catalyzed the ring- closing metathesis (RCM) of diallyl disulfide to afford cyclic disulfide 2 in 90% yield. This result is in sharp contrast to the first-generation bis-phosphine catalyst ((PCy 3 ) 2 Ru(CHPh)Cl 2 ), which was shown to be completely unreactive in this transformation (4). This observation prompted us to explore the pos- sibility that catalyst 1 may tolerate olefins bearing functional groups that were poor substrates for the first-generation catalyst. To this end, allyl methyl sulfide was reacted with 5 mol% 1 to afford the dis- ubstituted olefin 3 in 69% yield as a 6:1 mixture of E:Z olefin isomers (5).
Improved 2-D Root MUSIC for Non-Circular Signals

This paper proposes an improved two-dimensional (2-D) root MUSIC algorithm for non-circular sources. The proposed method has many advantages over conventional root MUSIC algorithms. First, it requires no pair matching between the azimuth and elevation angle estimation, whereas conventional 2-D root MUSIC algorithms require an exhaustive pair-matching search. Second, the proposed algorithm shows no estimation failure when the elevation angles are between 70 and 90 degrees, whereas the conventional 2-D root MUSIC algorithms fail. Third, the proposed algorithm can estimate the direction of arrival angles (DOAs) of coherent sources, whereas the conventional 2-D root MUSIC algorithms cannot. Fourth, the algorithm does not require any forward/backward spatial smoothing, whereas the conventional 2-D MUSIC algorithms do. Hence, the proposed algorithm can reduce the computational load significantly and can be applied to faster real-time radar/sonar and commercial wireless systems. In addition to these advantages, the simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional root MUSIC algorithms by a 7 dB gain in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to achieve the same root mean square error (RMSE) performance
Radiation Heat Transfer to the Leeward Side of a Massive Object Suspended Over a Pool Fire

* Sandia is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the United States Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. INTRODUCTION A series of large-scale experiments were recently performed to measure heat transfer to a massive cylindrical calorimeter engulfed in a 30-minute circular-pool fire [1]. The calorimeter inner surface temperature was measured at several locations and an inverse conduction technique was used to determine the net heat flux. The flame emissive heat flux was measured at several locations around the calorimeter. Light winds of around 2 m/s blew across the calorimeter axis at the beginning of the test but diminished and stopped as the test continued. The winds tilted the fire so that the windward side of the calorimeter was only intermittently engulfed. As a result the measured flame emissive power near the windward side was substantially less than the leeward surface. The variation of calorimeter temperature and heat flux was closely correlated with the measured flame emissive power. The goal of the current work is to use the measured calorimeter temperature and heat transfer data, along with measurements of the flame emissive power to develop a model for radiation heat transfer from the fire to the engulfed calorimeter. Specifically we determine the effective flame emissivity on the leeward side of the calorimeter and explore mechanisms that cause it to be less than unity.
Mutational alteration of Bacillus subtilis DNA polymerase 3 to hydroxyphenylazopyrimidine resistance: polymerase 3 is necessary for DNA replication.

Abstract A spontaneous mutant of Bacillus subtilis resistant to killing by two hydroxyphenylazopyrimidines has been isolated. The DNA polymerase III of this mutant is resistant to inhibition by these drugs. The Ki for 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil (HPUra) is 20 μM, about 40 times higher than the Ki of the wild-type enzyme. The mutant and wild-type polymerases behave similarly during purification, are sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide and to 0.1 M KCl, and have the same Km for dGTP (0.5 μM). The HPUra inhibition of both enzymes is attenuated competitively by dGTP. We conclude that polymerase III is the target for hydroxyphenylazopyrimidines in vivo , and since the drugs specifically inhibit replicative DNA synthesis, polymerase III is necessary for DNA replication.
Religion and Giving for International Aid: Evidence from a Survey of U.S. Church Members

This article investigates the relationship between two well-documented patterns in charitable giving: the positive relationship between religion and generosity and the growth in the numbers of, and donations to, international aid organizations. I discuss three modes by which religion shapes Americans’ preferences on international aid: values, social norms, and exposure to need. Using a 2005 national survey of church members, I find that (1) altruistic values, congregational social ties, and exposure to international needs through one’s congregation all are associated with giving to international causes; (2) individuals with more frequent attendance, those with more social ties in the congregation, and evangelicals and black Protestants are significantly more likely to prefer church over government aid; and (3) aid organizations affiliated with a religious tradition enjoy an “in-group” advantage in support.
Nuclear magnetic resonance study on the interaction of aclacinomycin-A with a deoxyribo-hexanucleotide pentaphosphate d(CCTAGG)2 in aqueous solution

The interaction of aclacinomycin-A (ACM) with a deoxyribo-hexanucleotide pentaphosphate d(CCTAGG)2 in aqueous solution was studied by 1H, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance techniques and by visible absorption spectroscopy. From the visible absorption spectra, ACM was found to be bound by polynucleotides with binding constants of the order of 106, in the order poly(dA-dT)>poly(dC)+poly(dG)>poly(dA-dG)+poly(dT-dC). With gradual addition of ACM to d(CCTAGG), two 31P resonances newly appeared in the lower fied region as compared with d(CCTAGG) in the non-complex state, while the 31P resonance assignable to the TpA portion in the non-complexed state decreased in intensity. From these results, the chromophore of ACM is expected to be intercalated in the TpA portion of the oligo-deoxyribonucleic acid duplex. The line widths of the exchangeable proton resonances of complex in H2O were examined as a funciton of the temperature. The results suggested that ACM stabilizes the helix of d(CCTAGG)2 at a region around the intercalation site.
The lethal activity and repair inhibition capacity of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(2,6-dioxo-3-piperidyl)-1-nitrosourea

The survival response of human colorectal carcinoma cells treated in vitro for 1 h with PCNU was characterized by a threshold exponential curve, Dq = 8 μg/ml (1 h) and D 0 = 22 μg/ml (1 h). Continuous treatment induced decreasing degrees of cell kill although PCNU was biologically stable in solution for at least 24 h. Cells treated with PCNU were unable to recover from potentially lethal damage but were quite capable of repairing PCNU-induced sublethal damage. Thus, PCNU with different alkylating and carbamoylating than other nitrosourea congeners had similar cytotoxic and repair inhibition capacities. Any therapeutic gain in the clinical use of PCNU must derive only from its lipophilic properties and not from its superior activity at the cellular level.
mTOR Regulation of Lymphoid Cells in Immunity to Pathogens

Immunity to pathogens exists as a fine balance between promoting activation and expansion of effector cells, while simultaneously limiting normal and aberrant responses. These seemingly opposing functions are kept in check by immune regulators. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that senses nutrient availability and, in turn, regulates cell metabolism, growth, and survival accordingly. mTOR plays a pivotal role in facilitating immune defense against invading pathogens by regulating the differentiation, activation, and effector functions of lymphoid cells. Here, we focus on the emerging and sometimes contradictory roles of mTOR in orchestrating lymphoid cell-mediated host immune responses to pathogens. A thorough understanding of how mTOR impacts lymphoid cells in pathogen defense will provide the necessary base for developing therapeutic interventions for infectious diseases.
Recent Advances in Targeting Tumor Energy Metabolism with Tumor Acidosis as a Biomarker of Drug Efficacy

Cancer cells employ a deregulated cellular metabolism to leverage survival and growth advantages. The unique tumor energy metabolism presents itself as a promising target for chemotherapy. A pool of tumor energy metabolism targeting agents has been developed after several decades of efforts. This review will cover glucose and fatty acid metabolism, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, HIF-1 and glutamine pathways in tumor energy metabolism, and how they are being exploited for treatments and therapies by promising pre-clinical or clinical drugs being developed or investigated. Additionally, acidification of the tumor extracellular microenvironment is hypothesized to be the result of active tumor metabolism. This implies that tumor extracellular pH (pHe) can be a biomarker for assessing the efficacy of therapies that target tumor metabolism. Several translational molecular imaging methods (PET, MRI) for interrogating tumor acidification and its suppression are discussed as well.
Copyrights in Cyberspace - Rights without Laws

INTRODUCTION 0000 I. PRIVATE ORDERING IN CYBERSPACE 0000 II. JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE SUPREMACY OF PRIVATE ORDERING ... 0000 A. The Economic Perspective (Efficiency) 0000 B. The Political Perspective (Legitimacy) 0000 1. Rule-Making Power 0000 2. Plurality of Norms 0000 III. CHALLENGING THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS 0000 A. Examining the Process: Is Private Ordering an Optimal Rulemaking Process? 0000 1. Assent and Information 0000 2. Choice 0000 3. The Neutrality of Market Processes 0000 B. Examining the Outcome: A Threat to the Public Domain ..... 0000 1. Privatizing the Commons 0000 2. Is Privatizing the Public Domain a Good Thing? 0000 (a) The Public Domain Does Not Lead to the Tragedy of the Commons 0000 (b) Propertization of the Commons and the Anticommons 0000 (c) Externalities 0000 CONCLUSION 0000
Time-Series Research in Psychotherapy

Time-series methods continue to be an area of rapidly expanding research methodology in the psychotherapy field. Many significant developments in time-series methodology have occurred over the past 10 years. Developments in time-series methodology are worthy of close examination by individuals in the psychotherapy field for a number of reasons. To begin with, time-series research provides an important alternative to traditional large-n between-group designs in psychotherapy research. Frequent concerns have been raised over the efficacy of group designs in answering certain types of questions in therapeutic studies (Barlow, 1981; Bergin & Strupp, 1972; Hersen & Barlow, 1976; Kazdin, 1980; Kiesler, 1971; Kratochwill, 1978; Myers, 1979). Concerns have centered around five main areas: (1) ethical objections (e.g., withholding the treatment from a client who participates in a no-treatment control group), (2) practical problems in collecting large numbers of clients who are homogeneous with respect to some variable (e.g., type of disorder), (3) averaging results over a group so as to obscure individual response to treatment, (4) generality of the findings from a group study to individual clients, and (5) a focus on intersubject variability without adequate focus on intrasubject variability.
Temperature Scenario Generation for Probabilistic Load Forecasting

In today’s dynamic and competitive business environment, probabilistic load forecasting is becoming increasingly important to utilities for quantifying the uncertainties in the future. Among the various approaches to generating probabilistic load forecasts, feeding simulated weather scenarios to a point load forecasting model is being commonly accepted by the industry for its simplicity and interpretability. There are three practical and widely used methods for temperature scenario generation, namely fixed-date, shifted-date, and bootstrap methods. Nevertheless, these methods have been used mainly on an ad hoc basis without being formally compared or quantitatively evaluated. For instance, it has never been clear to the industry how many years of weather history is sufficient to adopt these methods. This is the first study to evaluate these three temperature scenario generation methods based on the quantile score, a comprehensive quantitative error measure for probabilistic forecasts. Through a series of empirical studies on both linear and nonlinear models with three different levels of predictive power, we find that 1) the quantile score of each method shows diminishing improvement as the length of available temperature history increases; 2) while shifting dates can compensate short weather history, the quantile score improvement gained from the shifted-date method diminishes and eventually becomes negative as the number of shifted days increases; and 3) comparing with the fixed-date method, the bootstrap method offers the capability of generating more comprehensive scenarios but does not improve the quantile score. At the end, an empirical formula for selecting and applying the temperature scenario generation methods is proposed together with a practical guideline.
Real-time detection and single-pass minimization of TEM objective lens astigmatism.

Minimization of the astigmatism of the objective lens is a critical daily instrument alignment task essential for high resolution TEM imaging. Fast and sensitive detection of astigmatism is needed to provide real-time feedback and adjust the stigmators to efficiently reduce astigmatism. Currently the method used by many microscopists is to visually examine the roundness of a diffractogram (Thon rings) and iteratively adjust the stigmators to make the Thon rings circular. This subjective method is limited by poor sensitivity and potentially biased by the astigmatism of human eyes. In this study, an s2 power spectra based method, s2stigmator, was developed to allow fast and sensitive detection of the astigmatism in TEM live images. The “radar”-style display provides real-time feedback to guide the adjustment of the objective lens stigmators. Such unique capability allowed us to discover the mapping of the two stigmators to the astigmatism amplitude and angle, which led us to develop a single-pass tuning strategy capable of significantly quicker minimization of the objective lens astigmatism.
Update on anti-tumor necrosis factor agents and other new drugs for inflammatory bowel disease

The treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD)-has evolved beyond surgery with the introduction of biologic agents, primarily antibodies against mediators of inflammation and cell attraction. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents have been the first line treatment for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease for more than 15 years. During that time much has been learnt about how best to use these agents. This review will assess the evidence on how to optimize the use of anti-TNF agents; when and how to start treatment; how to monitor treatment and when to de-escalate it; and the potential adverse effects of these drugs. New and emerging treatments such as anti-attractants, anti-interleukins, and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors will also be discussed.
Abstract 2111: Ciclopirox inhibits tumor cell motility by suppressing protein expression of small GTPases and phosphorylation of paxillin

Ciclopirox olamine (CPX), an off-patent antifungal drug, is used for the treatment of superficial mycoses. Recent studies have demonstrated that CPX also possesses potent anticancer activity by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing cell death in tumor cells. However, it is unknown whether CPX inhibits cell motility. In the present study, we found that CPX potently inhibited cell motility in a concentration-dependent manner in rhabdomyosarcoma (Rh30 and RD) cells, which was independent of the reduction of cell viability. As small GTPases (RhoA, Cdc42, and Rac1) and focal adhesion proteins (paxillin) play critical roles in the regulation of cell motility, we further studied whether CPX affects these proteins. Our Western blot analysis revealed that CPX did inhibit cellular protein expression of RhoA, Cdc42 and Rac1. However, by RT-PCR analysis, CPX did not alter the mRNA levels of the small GTPases. As microRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate protein expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, we investigated the effect of CPX on the expression of miRNAs. Our miRNA PCR array revealed that treatment with 10 μM of CPX for 24 hours upregulated the expression of 27 miRNAs by 2.04-6.10 fold, and downregulated the expression of 7 miRNAs by 2.00-7.89 fold in Rh30 cells. Further research is ongoing to identify whether these up/downregulated miRNAs are linked to the reduced expression of small GTPases and potentially more proteins. In addition, we found that CPX inhibited the phosphorylation of paxillin, despite no effect on the total cellular protein expression. The results suggest that CPX inhibits tumor cell motility at least by suppressing the protein expression of small GTPases and the phosphorylation of paxillin. Supported by the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA. Citation Format: Shile Huang, Tao Shen. Ciclopirox inhibits tumor cell motility by suppressing protein expression of small GTPases and phosphorylation of paxillin [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2111. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2111
Data visualization versus data perception

This paper describes two exploratory and ongoing projects on data perception with the support of some preliminary experimental results. Firstly, the paper describes two approaches for haptic-based representation of multivariate data. Later, one of the approaches has been extended to help the blind students learn data structures in a multimodal environment.
A cross-lagged analysis of teacher–child language interactions and receptive vocabulary of non-ELL and ELL children

The present study investigated whether the bidirectional cross-lagged paths between teacher–child language interactions and receptive vocabulary would be significantly different between English lan...
Ethics, Economics, and Decision Rules for Climate Change

The issue of climate change raises difficult questions of intergenerational justice and the distribution of burdens and benefits between diverse stakeholders. This article explores the application of three normative frameworks to the analysis of alternative climate stabilization policies. Under the Kaldor–Hicks criterion, policies are designed to maximize discounted net monetary benefits. This approach suggests that only modest steps are justified to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if the future benefits of emissions reductions are discounted at a rate equal to the market rate of return on capital assets with typical investments. This criterion, however, supports much more stringent policies in models that assume relatively high risk aversion and that assign a significant probability to the hypothesis that climate change might inflict catastrophic damages. Regardless of risk, climate stabilization is favored by utilitarianism, an ethical theory that attaches equal weight to the welfare of each member of society, including individuals living in present and future generations. Finally, rights-based ethical principles support climate stabilization based on a duty to protect members of future generations against uncompensated and disproportionate environmental harms.
The Long-lasting Effects of Newspaper Op-Eds on Public Opinion

Do newspaper opinion pieces change the minds of those who read them? We conduct two randomized panel survey experiments on elite and mass convenience samples to estimate the effects of five op-eds on policy attitudes. We find very large average treatment effects on target issues, equivalent to shifts of approximately 0.5 scale points on a 7-point scale, that persist for at least one month. We find very small and insignificant average treatment effects on non-target issues, suggesting that our subjects read, understood, and were persuaded by the arguments presented in these op-eds. We find limited evidence of treatment effect heterogeneity by party identification: Democrats, Republicans, and independents all appear to move in the predicted direction by similar magnitudes. We conduct this study on both a sample of Amazon Mechanical Turk workers and a sample of elites. Despite large differences in demographics and initial political beliefs, we find that op-eds were persuasive to both the mass public and elites, but marginally more persuasive among the mass public. Our findings add to the growing body of evidence of the everyday nature of persuasion.
Criminology and the sociology of organizations

The sociology of organizations offers conceptual tools that can be used bycriminologists. The logic of crossing intra-disciplinary boundaries to borrowconceptual tools rests in the analogical properties of structure and processacross social settings that are fundamental aspects of all social organization.Analogy itself is underrecognized and used as a tool for conceptual thinkingand analysis in sociology. In this article, I give examples of theories andconcepts from the sociology of organizations that can usefully be appliedto substantive criminological problems. Then I compare family violence andcorporate crime as examples of organizational misconduct, foregroundingthe organizational setting in order to examine links between micro-, meso-,and macro-levels of analysis. These two exercises demonstrate thatincorporating organization theory into criminological research can providenew insights in data analysis of substantive problems, build toward generalsociological theory, and toward integrative general criminological theorythat escapes the levels of explanation problem.
Modified Auditory Brainstem Responses (MABR) in Patients with Intracranial Lesions

The standard auditory brainstem response (ABR) has not been reported as useful in detecting patients with intracranial lesions and mild or moderately increased intracranial pressure (ICP) within the ranges frequently encountered clinically (Goitein et al. 1983; Stone et al. 1988). The present investigation was designed to enhance the sensitivity of ABR testing in this patient population.
The impact of percutaneous coronary intervention on ischemic mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY The study aim was to determine if significant ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is adequately addressed in patients undergoing multi-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS The cardiac catheterization laboratory database at the authors' institution was accessed over a five-year interval to identify those patients who had undergone multi-vessel PCI. Both, pre- and post-revascularization echocardiographic data were retrieved, and clinical data, MR presence and severity, and outcomes were each assessed. RESULTS In total, 150 patients (100 males, 50 females; mean age 63 +/- 12 years) underwent PCI. Of these 150 patients, pre-procedural echocardiograms were not performed in 54 cases (35%); hence, the study group comprised 96 patients with both pre- and postprocedural echocardiograms. Of these patients, 21 (22%) had moderate or greater (2+) IMR. The severity of the IMR did not change significantly after multivessel PCI (2 +/- 0.8+ preoperatively versus 1.9 +/- 1.0+ postoperatively). CONCLUSION Clinically significant IMR occurred not infrequently among patients treated with multivessel PCI, but the severity did not change with percutaneous revascularization, despite this being predominantly complete. In more than one-third of the patients, adequate pre-PCI echocardiography was unavailable, which suggested the possibility that not all IMR had been identified.
Intramolecular Vibrational Relaxation and the Dynamics of the High-Power Two-Photon Excitation of NO2

Dramatic progress over recent years in the development of advanced narrow-bandwidth and short-pulse-width laser sources has significantly accellerated the experimental investigation and understanding of intramolecular vibrational energy redistirbution (IVR)1. By the properties chosen for the excitation source, such experiments can now be seen to cast the investigator in the role either of observer or active participant. Under high resolution in the frequency domain, one observes the consequences of intramolecular coupling in the resolved pattern of spectroscopic level positions and intensities. Line-widths, densities of states and the pattern of their relative spacings all combine to paint a picture of global radiationless decay, detailed by specific rovibronic interactions2. In the time domain, pump-probe experiments employing transform-limited picosecond and sub-picosecond lasers launch and then probe time-evolving coherent superposition states3. Thus, the distinction emerges: In the first case, one finds the intrinsic or static coupling patterns associated with intramolecular state mixing, whereas, in the second case, one participates and even partially controls the progress of intramolecular dynamical evolution according to the choice of parameters which include the initial state from which the system is excited, the coherence properties of the pump and probe optical pulses, and the time delay between them.
Ansky’s The Dybbuk , Freud’s Future of an Illusion , Watson’s “Little Albert,” and Supernatural Horror in Literature

Lovecraft’s Supernatural Horror in Literature mentions Ansky’s supernatural drama, The Dybbuk, and proceeds to succinctly trace the origins of the Jewish mystical imagination. In 1927, Freud published The Future of an Illusion, denouncing religion and linking supernaturalism to an infantile need for an all-nurturing, omnipresent mother, among other things. This chapter traces the history of The Dybbuk and examines why it endures and appeals long after Lovecraft’s dubious praise of it, while Freud’s psychoanalysis has come to seem closer to superstition than science.
Botulinum Neurotoxins (BoNTs)—Antibody and Vaccine

Botulism, caused by exposure to one or more of the eight serotypes of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) (BoNT/A through H), is often fatal without rapid treatment. [...].
The fifth vital sign? Nurse worry predicts inpatient deterioration within 24 hours

Introduction Identification of hospitalized patients with suddenly unfavorable clinical course remains challenging. Models using objective data elements from the electronic health record may miss important sources of information available to nurses. Methods We recorded nurses' perception of patient potential for deterioration in 2 medical and 2 surgical adult hospital units using a 5-point score at the start of the shift (the Worry Factor [WF]), and any time a change or an increase was noted by the nurse. Cases were evaluated by three reviewers. Intensive care unit (ICU) transfers were also tracked. Results 31 159 patient-shifts were recorded for 3185 unique patients during 3551 hospitalizations, with 169 total outcome events. Out of 492 potential deterioration events identified, 380 (77%) were confirmed by reviewers as true deterioration events. Likelihood ratios for ICU transfer were 17.8 (15.2-20.9) in the 24 hours following a WF > 2, and 40.4 (27.1-60.1) following a WF > 3. Accuracy rates were significantly higher in nurses with over a year of experience (68% vs 79%, P = 0.04). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.92 for the prediction of ICU transfer within 24 hours. Discussion This is a higher accuracy than most published early warning scores. Conclusion Nurses' pattern recognition and sense of worry can provide important information for the detection of acute physiological deterioration and should be included in the electronic medical record.
Perceived Risk of Developing Diabetes in the General Population and Asian Americans: Systematic Review:

Introduction: The purpose of this systematic review was to explore perceived diabetes risk with foci on prediabetic persons and Asian Americans. Persons with prediabetes and of Asian descent are at higher risk for developing diabetes, but little is known about their perceived diabetes risk. Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided this systematic review. Electronic searches were conducted in three databases. The authors conducted eligibility determination, data extraction, synthesis, and evaluation. Twelve articles were selected. Results: Key findings include (1) limited studies including Asian populations, (2) a low percentage of persons in the general population with moderate to high levels of perceived diabetes risk, (3) a lack of congruency between actual and perceived diabetes risk in the general population, and (4) no interventions effectively changing the level of perceived diabetes risk. Discussion: More studies regarding perceived diabetes risk are needed, especially with a focus on Asian Americans.