cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of punishment and DRO procedures for treating stereotypic behavior of mentally retarded children

Abstract In the present study, two mentally retarded children with high rare stereotypic responding were hospitalized in a university medical school setting and treated with punishment and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). Differential impact of the two treatment conditions was assessed using an alternating treatments design that incorporated the use of condition-specific discriminative stimuli. Experimental control was established through the use of a separate condition of no treatment. Results of the study indicated that for both subjects, all conditions were clearly discriminated and that punishment procedures were more effective for suppressing stereotypies than DRO. Six-month follow-up data were reported. Implications for future research utilizing the alternating treatments design were also discussed.
Crystal structure analysis of anti-V2 mAb 2158 suggests a conformational epitope involving an N-linked glycan

Background Many structural elements of HIV-1 gp120 have been revealed by X-ray crystallography, NMR and electron microscopy; however, several key immunogenic regions are still not well understood. Data from the recent RV144 trial indicated that antibodies targeting the V1V2 region correlate with a lower risk of infection. A detailed characterization of anti-V2 antibodies, in concert with recent V1V2 structural information is critical to the design of a V2 immunogen.
Hypoxanthine transport by Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts: Kinetics and inhibition by nucleosides

Abstract The transport of [ 3 H ]hypoxanthine was studied in monolayer cultures of mutant Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts lacking hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. Initial rates of transport were determined by rapid uptake experiments (8 to 20 s); a Michaelis constant of 0.68 ± 0.09 m m for hypoxanthine was derived from linear, monophasic plots of v S against v . Nucleosides are competitive inhibitors of this process; adenosine and thymidine give respective K i values of 86 and 300 μ m . The corresponding bases give much higher inhibition constants with adenine and thymine yielding values of 3100 and 1700 μ m , respectively. A similar pattern was observed for competitive inhibition of hypoxanthine transport by inosine, adenine arabinoside, uridine, cytidine, and two ribofuranosylimidazo derivatives of pyrimidin-4-one; in every case the nucleoside exhibited a lower K i value than the corresponding homologous base. The inhibition constants observed for nucleosides are remarkably similar to their K m values for nucleoside transport by cultured cells recently reported by others. Hypoxanthine transport was also blocked by the 6-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzylthio) derivatives of inosine and guanosine and by dipyridamole; these agents are also inhibitors of nucleoside transport. These results indicate a closer relationship between base and nucleoside transport than previously recognized and suggest that these two transport processes may involve identical or very similar transport proteins.
On discriminating temporal relations: Is it relational?

Pigeons were presented on each trial with a pair of keylight stimuli that varied in duration. One of two subsequent choices was reinforced, depending on which of the two stimuli was longer. For some pairs, the duration of one stimulus was predictive of relative duration, but for other pairs, absolute duration was unpredictive. Choice responses depended on relative differences between the stimuli, but were also controlled to some degree by absolute duration of the second member of the pair. Individual differences in control by absolute and relative duration were evident. Those pigeons whose behavior was most influenced by absolute duration showed poorer transfer to a different set of duration pairs.
Childhood muscle contraction headache: current issues in assessment and treatment.

SYNOPSIS Most of the psychological and medical literature on childhood headache focuses on migraine headache. Very little research exists on the assessment and treatment of muscle-contraction (MCH) in children. The present paper reviews current ideas on what constitutes a MCH in children, pathophysiology, prevalence, and assessment and treatment approaches. The medical and psychological literature indicates childhood MCH is similar to adult MCH. MCH is believed to be caused by psychological or stress-related factors; however, only a few studies have addressed this issue with children. Questions remain as to what psychological factors to assess, and the best approach with children. Difficulties exist in obtaining reliable accounts of stressful events as well as headache symptoms. Pain diaries or questionnaires completed during the head pain may prove useful. Several studies have evaluated the use of EMG biofeedback and/or relaxation training with children MCH sufferers. Results are encouraging but methodological shortcomings prohibit firm conclusions. It is concluded that further research with childhood MCH is warranted in order to obtain a more complete medical and psychological understanding. Furthermore, this information is useful in differential diagnosis and for effective intervention in a chronic pain condition.
The Role of Postoperative Factors in Surgical Site Infections: Time to Take Notice

Surgical site infections (SSIs) continue to occur, in many instances despite high compliance with best practice measures primarily revolving around pre- and intraoperative periods. Postoperative factors have traditionally been considered to play a relatively minor role in the causation of SSIs. An increasing body of evidence, however, suggests that many SSIs occur as a result of pathogens gaining access to surgical wounds either hematogenously, through drains, or through slowly healing wounds due to systemic anticoagulation or other factors, particularly in the setting of high compliance with standard perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Evidence also supports frequent acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during the postoperative period. These findings, coupled with lack of clear efficacy of various pre- and intraoperative interventions such as MRSA decolonization and use of vancomycin for prophylaxis against this organism, should force us to consider the important role that postoperative factors may play in the causation of SSIs in the current era.
Time domain testing strategies and fault diagnosis for analog systems

An efficient approach is presented for functional testing and parameter estimation of analog circuits in the time domain. The test equations are based on the sensitivity matrix, which can be obtained simultaneously with the nominal solution vector. An iterative parameter estimation approach is used when the element values deviate substantially from the nominal design values. An example is given, with results based on actual measurement data. Practical considerations, including the effects of ambiguity groups, measurement errors, and time skew, are covered. The effects of ambiguity groups are shown to be very important for parameter estimation, and techniques for reducing their number or algebraically accommodating them are presented. The approach can be directly extended to nonlinear circuits. >
Judgments of Social Awkwardness from Brief Exposure to Children with and without High-Functioning Autism.

We form first impressions of many traits based on very short interactions. This study examines whether typical adults judge children with high-functioning autism to be more socially awkward than their typically developing peers based on very brief exposure to still images, audio-visual, video-only, or audio-only information. We used video and audio recordings of children with and without high-functioning autism captured during a story-retelling task. Typically developing adults were presented with 1 s and 3 s clips of these children, as well as still images, and asked to judge whether the person in the clip was socially awkward. Our findings show that participants who are naive to diagnostic differences between the children in the clips judged children with high-functioning autism to be socially awkward at a significantly higher rate than their typically developing peers. These results remain consistent for exposures as short as 1 s to visual and/or auditory information, as well as for still images. These...
Bots and Cyborgs: Wikipedia's Immune System

Bots and cyborgs are more than tools to better manage content quality on Wikipedia-through their interaction with humans, they're fundamentally changing its culture.
Intraspinal Morphine for Pain

Pain is an enormous social and economic problem. The treatment of chronic pain is also controversial, in part because of the subjectivity of the complaint. Most health care professionals have been trained to treat acute pain, expecting to see changes in vital signs, facial grimacing, and guarding behavior. However, in the chronic pain patient these signs are not evident. Therefore, the only reliable indicator of the presence of pain is the patient’s self-report. This may prove challenging to the health professional when assessing pain in the patient who reports a pain intensity of 10 on a 0 to 10 scale but does not “look as if he/she is in pain.” Reports of intensity scores that do not correlate with behavior are common and may also reflect coping strategies and other patient-specific variables.
Achieving Scale at the District Level A Longitudinal Multiple Case Study of a Partnership Reform

Purpose: Coburn’s (2003) multidimensional conception of scale includes four interrelated dimensions—depth, sustainability, spread, and ownership—that provide a framework to understand scale at both the school and district levels. This study was conducted to understand how reform leaders in four districts implementing the National Network of Partnership Schools’ (NNPS) framework for school, family, and community partnerships influenced progress along these four dimensions of scale. Research Methods: The study used a longitudinal qualitative case study approach. Four districts that had been members of NNPS for 5 years or longer and reported high levels of leadership for family and community engagement were selected for the study. Each district was studied for a period of 3 years. Interview, observation, and survey data were collected and analyzed. Findings: The study found that NNPS reform leaders influenced the case districts’ progress on Coburn’s dimensions of scale through a variety of facilitating pract...
Dietary ω-3 fatty acid supplementation for optimizing neuronal structure and function.

Direct actions of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on neuronal composition, neurochemical signaling and cognitive function constitute a multidisciplinary rationale for classification of dietary lipids as "brain foods." The validity of this conclusion rests upon accumulated mechanistic evidence that omega-3 fatty acids actually regulate neurotransmission in the normal nervous system, principally by modulating membrane biophysical properties and presynaptic vesicular release of classical amino acid and amine neurotransmitters. The functional correlate of this hypothesis, that certain information processing and affective coping responses of the central nervous system are facilitated by bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids, is tentatively supported by developmental and epidemiological evidence that dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids results in diminished synaptic plasticity and impaired learning, memory and emotional coping performance later in life. The present review critically examines available evidence for the promotion in modern society of omega-3 fatty acids as adaptive neuromodulators capable of efficacy as dietary supplements and as potential prophylactic nutraceuticals for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Novel application of the "doubly labeled" water method: measuring CO2 production and the tissue-specific dynamics of lipid and protein in vivo.

The partitioning of whole body carbon flux between fat and lean compartments affects body composition. We hypothesized that it is possible to simultaneously determine whole body carbon (energy) bal...
Dominant Bovine Ovarian Follicular Cysts Express Increased Levels of Messenger RNAs for Luteinizing Hormone Receptor and 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Δ4,Δ5 Isomerase Compared to Normal Dominant Follicles

The objective was to compare ovarian steroids and expression of mRNAs encoding cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage, cytochrome P450 17a-hydroxylase, cytochrome P450 aromatase, 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase D4 ,D 5 isomerase, LH, and FSH receptors and estrogen receptor-b in ovaries of cows with dominant and nondominant ovarian follicular cysts and in normal dominant follicles. Estradiol-17b, progesterone, and androstenedione concentrations were determined in follicular fluid using specific RIAs. Dominant cysts were larger than young cysts or dominant follicles, whereas nondominant cysts were intermediate. Estradiol-17b (ng/ml) and total steroids (ng/follicle) were higher in dominant cysts than in dominant follicles. Expression of LH receptor and 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNAs was higher in granulosa cells of dominant cysts than in dominant follicles. Nondominant cysts had higher follicular concentrations of progesterone, lower estradiol-17b concentrations, and lower expression of steroidogenic enzyme, gonadotropin receptor, and estrogen receptor-b mRNAs than other groups. In summary, increased expression of LH receptor and 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNAs in granulosa and increased follicular estradiol-17b concentrations were associated with dominant cysts compared to dominant follicles. Study of cysts at known developmental stages is useful in identifying alterations in follicular steroidogenesis. estradiol receptor, follicle, follicular cyst, gene regulation, gonadotropin receptors, granulosa cells, steroidogenic enzymes, theca cells
Selection of small molecules by the Tetrahymena catalytic center

Abstract The catalytic center in group I RNAs contains a selective binding site that accommodates both guanosine and L-arginine. In order to understand the specificity of the RNA for small molecules, we analyzed 6 RNAs that vary in this region. Specificity for nucleotides resides substantially in G264 rather than its paired nucleotide C311, and is expressed substantially in Km, with comparatively little variation in kcat. kcat is not notably perturbed even for RNAs with mispairs in the active-site helix. For 5 of 6 sequences, effects of RNA substitutions on arginine binding and GTP reactivity are proportional, confirming that arginine contacts a subset of the groups occupied by G. As a result of particular mutations, reaction with GTP is decreased, and reaction with the natural nucleotides UTP and ATP is enhanced. Molecular modeling of these effects suggests that exceptionally flexible placement of reactants may be an essential quality of RNA-catalyzed splicing. The specificity of the intron can be rationalized by a type of binding model not previously considered, in which the G/arginine site includes adjacent nucleotides (an 'axial' site), rather than a single nucleotide, G264.
Efficient top-k hyperplane query processing for multimedia information retrieval

A query can be answered by a binary classifier, which separates the instances that are relevant to the query from the ones that are not. When kernel methods are employed to train such a classifier, the class boundary is represented as a hyperplane in a projected space. Data instances that are farthest from the hyperplane are deemed to be most relevant to the query, and that are nearest to the hyperplane to be most uncertain to the query. In this paper, we address the twin problems of efficient retrieval of the approximate set of instances (a) farthest from and (b) nearest to a query hyperplane. Retrieval of instances for this hyperplane-based query scenario is mapped to the range-query problem allowing for the reuse of existing index structures. Empirical evaluation on large image datasets confirms the effectiveness of our approach.
Variation in community structure within hydrothermal vent mussel beds of the East Pacific Rise

Patterns in invertebrate community structure associated with mussel beds at 3 hydro- thermal vents on the northern East Pacific Rise (NEPR) were explored using quantitative, replicate sampling methods and were compared to those of southern East Pacific Rise (SEPR) mussel beds (~3000 km apart). Univariate measures of diversity (H', J') did not differ among 3 NEPR mussel beds. Diversity by most estimates was lower at NEPR mussel beds than at SEPR mussel beds. Invertebrate faunas of NEPR and SEPR mussel beds belong to the same biogeographic province, and the numeri- cally dominant species at NEPR mussel beds were also numerical dominants at SEPR mussel beds. Patterns of community structure within and among NEPR mussel beds, between NEPR and SEPR mussel beds, and between 'young' ( 8 yr) mussel beds could be differentiated using multivariate techniques based on species-abundance matrices. Overall, these observations suggest that NEPR and SEPR mussel-bed communities are remarkably similar, differing primarily in the relative abundances of their shared, numerically dominant species and in the composition of the rare species.
Progesterone therapy in women with epilepsy: A 3-year follow-up

Cyclic natural progesterone therapy was added to the antiepileptic drug treatment of 25 women with intractable localization-related epilepsy and catamenial seizure exacerbation. At 3 months of treatment, the therapy was well tolerated in 23 women, and resulted in significantly improved seizure control in 18 women (72%) in comparison to baseline.1 In the 23 women who remained on therapy, complex partial seizures (CPS) declined by 54%; secondary generalized motor seizures (SGMS), by 58%.1 These 18 women continued on progesterone therapy. Fifteen did not change antiseizure medication. This Clinical Note presents the 3-year follow-up of this investigation. This study included 25 women between 18 and 40 years of age with clinically and electrographically documented intractable CPS or SGMS of temporal lobe origin. All women had epileptiform discharges in temporal lobe derivatives on EEG and …
A potential role for the nucleolus in L1 retrotransposition

Determining the subcellular localization of the L1 ORF2 protein (ORF2p) has been impossible to date because of technical limitations in detecting either endogenous or overexpressed forms of the protein. Here we report visualization of the full-length ORF2p in cultured human cells following expression in a modified vaccinia virus/T7 RNA polymerase (MVA/T7RP) system. The MVA/T7RP system was used to ascertain subcellular localization of L1 ORF1p and ORF2p both as fusions with green fluorescent protein and by immunocytochemistry. Full-length ORF2p was predominantly cytoplasmic, while carboxy-terminal-deleted ORF2p localized additionally to the nucleolus. We mapped a functional nucleolar localization signal in ORF2p. ORF1p appeared in the cytoplasm with a speckled pattern and colocalized with ORF2p in nucleoli in a subset of cells. These findings help explain the presence of chimeras between L1s and small RNA gene sequences recently discovered in the human genome.
Learning and Behavioral—Emotional Problems of Children Born Preterm at Second Grade

A longitudinal prospective study examined the question, "which child and family factors discriminate between children born preterm who are characterized by the presence or absence of learning or behavioral-emotional problems at second grade?" Assessments were completed during the child's hospital stay at birth, at 4, 8, and 24 months, and 8 years of age for 68 children born preterm and their mothers. Discriminant analyses identified the variables that statistically maximized the differentiation between two groups of children defined to exhibit or not exhibit school age problems. Three categories of discriminators were used in the analyses: infant status, family interactive quality, and family context. The three significant discriminators were variables from the family categories. The results of this study highlight the importance of understanding the presence or absence of school age problems from a multivariate model of development that takes into account the quality of the child's interactions within the family during early childhood and school age and the current stress levels in the family context.
Evaluation and Management of Failed Bladder Reconstructions

Bladder reconstructions are commonly performed in patients with neurogenic bladders with a high rate of complications. We seek to help guide the evaluation and management of these complications by reviewing the available data. Augmentation cystoplasty and concomitant procedures such as continent catheterizable channels, bladder neck closure, and bladder neck sling can provide long-term solutions for patients with poorly compliant, high-pressure bladders or refractory detrusor overactivity. While these techniques improve symptoms and protect against upper tract deterioration, patients are exposed to new risks including bladder perforation, increased malignancy rates, urolithiasis, surgical failures, and persistent symptoms. The overall rate of reoperation is high. Evaluation with urodynamics and endoscopy, when indicated, remain critical tools to protect this patient population. Use of clean intermittent catheterization has helped popularize bladder reconstructive surgery, but a strict regimen is required to minimize postoperative risks in the long term. Additionally, various surgical techniques can be utilized to manage complications after bladder reconstruction, and concurrent use of anticholinergics and onabotulinum toxin injections can further mitigate these reconstructive failures. Bladder reconstruction can provide excellent long-term solutions, but patients are at a high risk of long-term complications. Appropriate patient counseling, close follow-up, and timely evaluation are crucial in managing the long-term complications of bladder reconstruction surgery.
Reactions of Nucleophilic Carbon Species with Carbonyl Groups

The reactions discussed in this chapter are related mechanistically in that all begin by addition of a carbon nucleophile to a carbonyl or related unsaturated carbon site. Open image in new window The initial addition phase can then be followed by any of several reaction sequences. The discussion emphasizes those reactions that have attained synthetic importance.
Casimir effect for smooth potentials on spherically symmetric pistons

In this article we consider a spherical piston modeled by a spherically symmetric potential. The piston is positioned between two spherical shells and the corresponding Casimir energy and force are computed. Zeta function regularization based upon suitable contour integral representations is utilized. A numerical analysis of the Casimir force is provided for a variety of Gaussian like potentials.
Determination of Lead in Iron Supplements by Electrothermal Atomization Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

ABSTRACTLead was determined in iron supplements by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA AAS). The effect of the iron matrix on the determination of lead was investigated using line source ETA AAS and high resolution continuum source (HR-CS) ETA AAS. Pyrolysis and atomization curves were obtained using palladium and magnesium as the chemical modifier. The optimal conditions were 1100°C and 2000°C for the pyrolysis and atomization temperatures. Lead was determined by external calibration with aqueous standards; a characteristic mass of 21.3 pg, a limit of detection of 0.25, and a limit of quantification of 0.82 µ g L−1 were obtained. The limits of detection and quantification using a sample mass of 0.5 g were 0.012 and 0.041 µg g−1. The relative standard deviation was 5.92% for an iron supplement (iron concentration 280 mg g−1) with a lead concentration of 2.98 µg g−1. The method was employed for the determination of lead in twelve iron supplements from Brazil. The lead concentrati...
An Examination of the Impact of Racial and Ethnic Identity, Impostor Feelings, and Minority Status Stress on the Mental Health of Black College Students

This study examined ethnic identity, racial centrality, minority status stress, and impostor feelings as predictors of mental health in a sample of 218 Black college students. Ethnic identity was found to be a significant positive predictor of mental health, whereas minority status stress and impostor feelings were significant negative predictors. Although ethnic identity was the strongest predictor of mental health, racial centrality represented a nonsignificant, negative predictor. Counseling implications for Black college students are discussed. Este estudio examino la identidad etnica, la centralidad racial, el estres por estatus de minoria y los sentimientos de impostor como indicadores de salud mental en una muestra de 218 estudiantes universitarios negros. Se hallo que la identidad etnica es un indicador positivo significativo de salud mental, mientras que el estres por estatus de minoria y los sentimientos de impostor fueron indicadores negativos significativos. Aunque la identidad etnica fue el indicador mas fuerte de salud mental, la centralidad racial represento un indicador negativo no significativo. Se discuten las implicaciones para la consejeria de estudiantes universitarios negros.
Reactor production of 64Cu and 67Cu using enriched zinc target material

Initial development work and trial irradiations were conducted to produce the in-demand medical isotopes 64Cu and 67Cu via the reactor-based fast neutron 64Zn(n,p)64Cu and 67Zn(n,p)67Cu reactions using enriched zinc targets. Boron-nitride shielded sample holders were used to reduce the thermal neutron flux to the zinc targets and diminish the production of undesired 65Zn. Irradiated oxide targets were dissolved and preliminary separations achieved copper yields of ~95 % and zinc separations factors greater than 103 after one ion exchange pass. Further development would allow the production of mCi levels of 64Cu and 67Cu per irradiation, providing sufficient activity for small mammal research studies.
Fragrance material review on linalyl hexanoate.

A toxicologic and dermatologic review of linalyl hexanoate when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented.
Mostly Useless Econometrics? Assessing the Causal Effect of Econometric Theory

Economics is highly invested in sophisticated mathematics and empirical methodologies. Yet the payoff to these investments in terms of uncontroverted empirical knowledge is much less clear. I argue that leading economics journals err by imposing an unrealistic burden of proof on empirical work: there is an obsession with establishing causal relationships that must be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. It is far easier to publish theoretical econometrics, an increasingly arid subject that meets the burden of mathematical proof. But the overabundance of econometric theory has not paid off in terms of empirical knowledge, and may paradoxically hinder empirical work by obligating empirical researchers to employ the latest methods that are often difficult to understand and use and fail to address the problems that researchers actually confront. I argue that a change in the professional culture and incentives can help econometrics from losing its empirical relevance. Econometric theory needs to be more empirically motivated and problem-driven. Economics journals should lower the burden of proof for empirical work and raise the burden of proof for econometric theory. Specifically, there should be more room for descriptive empirical work in our journals. It should not be necessary to establish a causal mechanism or a non-parametrically identified structural model that provides an unambiguous explanation of empirical phenomena as a litmus test for publication. On the other hand, journals should increase the burden on econometric theory by requiring more of them to show how the new methods they propose are likely to be used and be useful for generating new empirical knowledge.
A Theosophy of the Creative Word: TheZohar-Cycle of Nelly Sachs

(1969). A Theosophy of the Creative Word: TheZohar-Cycle of Nelly Sachs. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 211-228.
Value Narratives: A Novel Method for Understanding High-Cost Pediatric Hospital Patients.

OBJECTIVES: To delineate the drivers of cost associated with the most-costly inpatients in a tertiary pediatric hospital. METHODS: We identified the 10% most-costly inpatients treated at a large regional children’s hospital in 2010. From this group we randomly selected, within representative specialties, 2 groups of 50 inpatients for detailed chart review. By using daily cost data and clinical records, 2 independent reviewers examined the clinical course of each patient to identify events that drove cost beyond that expected for standard of care. By using an iterative process, these events were grouped into themes or “cost drivers.” Linear regression was used to measure the association of number of cost drivers and total 2010 inpatient cost. RESULTS: We identified 7 cost drivers: medical complications (49%), futile treatment (6%), failure to identify family care preferences (9%), system errors (65%), preventable admissions (21%), complex family dynamics (11%), and expensive diagnosis with no other cost driver (15%). Cost drivers were associated with increased total costs. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a novel method for understanding high-cost inpatients. This method allowed a more detailed understanding of cost drivers than could be achieved with administrative data alone. Many of these cost drivers were related to problems with communication.
Abstract MP16: ReninAAV Uninephrectomized db/db Mice as a Novel Diabetic Kidney Diesease Model for Testing New Therapeutics on Top of RAS Inhibition

ReninAAV comprises a novel approach to induce persistent hypertension in diverse murine models. ReninAAV induced hypertension is persistent and facilitates the development of animal models of diseases accelerated or driven by hypertension such as diabetic kidney disease (DKD). A single injection of ReninAAV (5x10 9 GC) in uninephrectomized (uNx) db/db mice results in progressive DKD. Impaired renal function was detected as early as one week post injection with an 8.9±3.1-fold increase in ACR (albumin:creatinine) as compared to baseline values, and at 11 weeks post injection significantly (p db/db controls (0.08±0.01mg/dL and 1,364±83μg/mg, respectively). To determine if treatment with the ACEi Linsinopril halted progression of renal disease uNx db/db were given ReninAAV and followed for 4 weeks until ACR reached approximately 15,000μg/mg. Mice were randomized into 4 treatment groups: untreated, Lisinopril low (30mg/L), Lisinopril medium (100mg/L) and Lisinopril high (300mg/L) and followed for an additional 8 weeks. Untreated mice showed progressive increase in ACR developing a final ACR of 35,318±4,177μg/mg. Lisinopril dose dependently reduced ACR significantly compared to baseline (p db/db mice (1,364±831μg/mg) that did not receive ReninAAV. Lisinopril treatment at 100 and 300mg/L also resulted in improvement in final serum creatinine values (p db/db mice (0.08±0.012mg/dL). This study establishes ReninAAV treated uNx db/db mice as a novel model of progressive DKD and demonstrates that suppression of RAS with Lisinopril improved, but only partially prevented progression of renal disease, thus enabling testing of new potential therapeutics on top of RAS inhibition.
Comparing Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health Risks among Youth Attending Public versus Parochial Schools.

ABSTRACTParochial schools are assumed to provide better social and academic experiences; however, few studies account for selection bias when comparing with public schools. This study contrasted public versus parochial schools using propensity score matching across a range of outcomes (e.g., perceptions of school, emotional symptoms, substance use, bullying). Using a sample of 58 public and 5 parochial high schools, the nonmatched analyses suggested a significant advantage for parochial schools students (e.g., better on 23 of 32 indicators). However, the propensity score matched analyses revealed nine differences (e.g., weapon carrying, smoking), two of which (i.e., stress and cyberbullying) favored public schools. While at first glance parochial schools generally appear to be healthier and safer learning environments, accounting for selection bias, the gap was narrowed. Students in parochial schools may struggle with issues related to social, emotional, and behavioral health risk, and thus prevention pro...
Mineralogical Evidence of Galvanic Corrosion in Drinking Water Lead Pipe Joints

Galvanic corrosion as a mechanism of toxic lead release into drinking water has been under scientific debate in the U.S. for over 30 years. Visual and mineralogical analysis of 28 lead pipe joints, excavated after 60+ years from eight U.S. water utilities, provided the first direct view of three distinct galvanic corrosion patterns in practice: (1) no evidence of galvanic corrosion; (2) galvanic corrosion with lead cathode; (3) galvanic corrosion with lead anode. Pattern 3 is consistent with empirical galvanic series (lead → brass → copper in order of increasing nobility) and poses the greatest risk of Pb exposure. Pattern 2 is consistent with galvanic battery reversion. The identification of copper-sulfate minerals (Pattern 2), and lead-sulfate and lead-chloride minerals (Pattern 3) in galvanic zones illustrated the migration of chloride and sulfate toward the anode. Geochemical modeling confirmed the required pH drop from the bulk water level to at least pH 3.0–4.0 (Pattern 2) and pH < 5.5 (Pattern 3) i...
Construction Techniques used at Cern for the Lep Project

The Large Electron Positron (LEP) machine was selected by the European Committee for Future Accelerators (ECFA) in the 1970’s as the machine best suited to achieving the next step forward in high-energy physics research. LEP is a natural forerunner to the Superconducting Super Collider, having a similar layout and operating strategy.
Linking Gulf War Illness to Genome Instability, Somatic Evolution, and Complex Adaptive Systems

Gulf War illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom disorder impacting one-third of veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. Despite a rapid accumulation of experimental data from various fields, there is no commonly accepted mechanism of this condition. Both the complex etiology and diverse symptoms of GWI have complicated its clinical diagnoses and treatments. By comparing GWI to many other common and complex diseases, we realized that a better way to study GWI is to consider it as a complex adaptive system that follows the principles of somatic evolution. In this presentation, we share our story of identifying the “Gulf War-specific-stress-induced” and “genome instability-mediated” common mechanisms of GWI. Our analyses are useful for explaining the linkage between the diverse features of GWI and elevated genome instability, which further suggest a possible framework of genome alteration-mediated somatic evolution to understand common and complex diseases in general.
Elevated Nrf-2 responses are insufficient to mitigate protein carbonylation in hepatospecific PTEN deletion mice.

Objective In the liver, a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH) is oxidative stress, which leads to the accumulation of highly reactive electrophilic α/β unsaturated aldehydes. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of NASH on protein carbonylation and antioxidant responses in a murine model. Methods Liver-specific phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-deletion mice (PTENLKO) or control littermates were fed a standard chow diet for 45–55 weeks followed by analysis for liver injury, oxidative stress and inflammation. Results Histology and Picrosirius red-staining of collagen deposition within the extracellular matrix revealed extensive steatosis and fibrosis in the PTENLKO mice but no steatosis or fibrosis in controls. Increased steatosis and fibrosis corresponded with significant increases in inflammation. PTEN-deficient livers showed significantly increased cell-specific oxidative damage, as detected by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) and acrolein staining. Elevated staining correlated with an increase in nuclear DNA repair foci (γH2A.X) and cellular proliferation index (Ki67) within zones 1 and 3, indicating oxidative damage was zonally restricted and was associated with increased DNA damage and cell proliferation. Immunoblots showed that total levels of antioxidant response proteins induced by nuclear factor erythroid-2-like-2 (Nrf2), including GSTμ, GSTπ and CBR1/3, but not HO-1, were elevated in PTENLKO as compared to controls, and IHC showed this response also occurred only in zones 1 and 3. Furthermore, an analysis of autophagy markers revealed significant elevation of p62 and LC3II expression. Mass spectrometric (MS) analysis identified significantly more carbonylated proteins in whole cell extracts prepared from PTENLKO mice (966) as compared to controls (809). Pathway analyses of identified proteins did not uncover specific pathways that were preferentially carbonylated in PTENLKO livers but, did reveal specific strongly increased carbonylation of thioredoxin reductase and of glutathione-S-transferases (GST) M6, O1, and O2. Conclusions Results show that disruption of PTEN resulted in steatohepatitis, fibrosis and caused hepatic induction of the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant system at least in part due to elevation of p62. This response was both cell-type and zone specific. However, these responses were insufficient to mitigate the accumulation of products of lipid peroxidation.
Test generation for FET switching circuits

As the complexity of VLSI circuits continues to increase, the need to test for failures has become imperative. The problem of generating test to detect failures on FET transistor networks has been unsolved for all but simple cases. In this paper we describe an effective method for computing test for failures for FET switching networks. Here we define a function-preserving, failure-preserving transformation of a switching network into a logic network. There are efficient means for computing tests for failures in logic networks, specifically, the D-algorithm. Tests so computed for the image logic network are automatically tests for failures in the original switching network. In other words the logic network so generated not only computes the same function; it also has the same failure-structure. Tests for the logic-network failures are computed by efficient test-generation procedures, using the D-algorithm (1980). It is proven for the transformation that a test for a stuck failure in the logic network is simultaneously a test for a short (or open) for the corresponding switch in the switching network. Run time for the transformation, from switching to logic network, increases linearly with the complexity of the switching network, so that its run time can be neglected. A program SW2BOOL of the algorithm (written in Pascal) clearly verify the claims as to correctness and speed.
Molecular Biology and Cardiac Function, Past, Present and Future

Molecular biology is the outgrowth of the ascendence of biology, chemistry and physics. Medicine has been the beneficiary of this development. While during the last 40 years physics has changed our understanding of the universe, molecular biology has altered our ideas of the function of primitive and advanced organisms. Molecular biology has opened new vistas to the recognition and treatment of a number of diseases. The ascendence of molecular biology is influencing our life, our health, and our ideas on evolution. Molecular biology is defined here as life processes at the cellular level, that is at a level so small (molecular) that they cannot be perceived or measured by classical chemical or anatomical means. Consequently, molecular biology originated simultaneously with our ability to perform measurements and structural observation at the “molecular” level.
PSEUDOHYPONATREMIA IN THE SETTING OF HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA.

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe a case of pseudohyponatremia in the setting of hypercholesterolemia. Methods: A 69-year-old man was admitted to the hospital after asymptomatic hyponatremia was dete...
Characterizing chronic pain in late adolescence and early adulthood: prescription opioids, marijuana use, obesity, and predictors for greater pain interference.

Introduction Chronic pain in late adolescence and young adults is understudied and poorly characterized. Objectives We sought to characterize key variables that may impact pain interference in late adolescents and young adults with chronic pain, including prescription opioid use, marijuana use, psychological symptoms, and obesity. Methods Retrospective, cross-sectional medical chart review for patients aged 17 to 23 years (N = 283; 61% Females) seeking care at a tertiary care pain clinic. Data on pain characteristics, health behaviors, and mental health distress were examined, in addition to self-reported pain intensity and interference. Results Overlapping pain conditions were common in this young adult sample (mean ≥ 2 pain conditions). Back pain was the most commonly cited pain condition, and the majority of pain was of unknown etiology. Results revealed high rates for current opioid prescription, overweight or obese status, and mental health problems. Those using prescription opioids were more likely to endorse tobacco use and had greater pain interference. Importantly, the presence of mental health distress and opioid use were predictive of higher levels of pain-related interference. Conclusion Treatment-seeking adolescents and young adults with chronic pain evidence complex care needs that include pain and mental comorbidities, as well as risky health behaviors. Pain and mental health distress were associated with poorer physical health, opioid prescription and marijuana use, and pain-related interference. Findings underscore the need for additional research on pain, treatment patterns, and health behaviors and their impact on developmental trajectories, as well as the need to develop and apply effective early interventions in this at-risk population.
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Does Not Improve Osseous Integration of Osteochondral Allografts for the Treatment of Chondral Defects in the Knee at 6 and 12 Months: A Comparative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis.

Background:Poor osseous integration after fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) may be associated with graft subsidence and subchondral bone collapse after implantation. The augmentat...
Elderly Consumers’ Receptiveness to Telemarketing Fraud:

The authors use data from the 1996 and 1997 EXCEL Omnibus Survey commissioned by the American Association of Retired Persons to investigate the receptiveness of consumers 50 years of age or older t...
Real-time Bitstream Decompression Scheme for FPGAs Reconfiguration

The state-of-the-art FPGAs require massive configuration files seeking on-chip large memory storage. Partial reconfigurable applications demand even more data storage for several additional partial bitstreams. To alleviate the memory storage requirements, bitstream compression techniques are needed. Efficient compression algorithms usually involve high complex hardware decompression circuits. This might increase the FPGA’s (re)configuration time. In run-time reconfigurable applications, the required time of the decompression engine must be minimized. In this paper, we present a design and implementation of a newly developed bitstream decompression algorithm. The decompression circuit was implemented using Xilinx Vivado EDA design suite on a Zynq-based FPGA. While consuming only 118 CLB slices, 0.89% of the fabric, the decompression speed can reach the theoretical maximum reconfiguration frequency of 400 MB/s on 100 MHz clock as verified by hardware implementation. Furthermore, the effect of the FIFO buffer size and DMA configuration parameters on the decompression speed were studied.
LBP33: DEFINING A CLINICALLY RELEVANT CUTOFF FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF HLA ANTIBODIES USING THE SINGLE ANTIGEN BEAD ASSAY

The single antigen bead assay is a widely-used platform for the detection of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-specific antibodies in both pre- and post-transplant patients. Our regional organ procurement organization recommends a cutoff value of 2000 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) for the detection of HLA antibodies using the Luminex single antigen bead assay. This cutoff has proven effective for the prevention of HLA-mediated hyperacute rejection; however, this cutoff may be too lenient for the detection of post-transplant donor-specific antibodies. Indeed, we hypothesize that some patients have donor-specific HLA antibody-mediated organ allograft rejection even with a MFI of To define a clinically-relevant DSA MFI cutoff, we analyzed MFI values of 75 runs of a commercially available negative control serum and MFI values of 75 post-transplant patients with negative DSAs. After normalizing the data by log-transformation, we found that the negative control runs had a mean + 3 standard deviation cutoff of 328, and the post-transplant negative DSA patients had a mean + 3 standard deviation cutoff of 969, suggesting that a cutoff of 1000 MFI would be adequate to capture approximately 99% of all negative DSA patients. We applied the 1000 MFI cutoff to the six cases with findings suggestive of ABMR but with no DSAs identified. We found that the highest MFI for donor-specific antigens in these patients was well below the 1000 MFI cutoff. Using a cutoff of 1000 would not have changed the DSA result to positive in these patients. The overall findings suggest that a cutoff of 2000 MFI has been adequate to capture all cases of HLA-mediated antibody-mediated rejection over the period analyzed at our institution.
An improved flexible representation of quantum images

The flexible representation of quantum images (FRQI) and novel enhanced quantum representation (NEQR) are well-known models used for storing and processing quantum images. In this article, we establish that the complexity of image preparation in FRQI model is $$O(n2^{2n})$$ , which is linear in the size of image. Moreover, by analyzing the FRQI and NEQR models, we propose an improved flexible representation of quantum images (IFRQI) which uses p qubits to store grayscale value of every pixel of a 2p-bit-deep image. The grayscale values are encoded by employing rotation matrices corresponding to chosen values of angles which assist in accurate retrieval of original image information through projective measurements. The quantum image compression algorithm and basic image processing operations are discussed in detail to establish the effectiveness of IFRQI model. The performance analysis in respect of time and space complexity exhibits that the IFRQI model is comparable to FRQI and NEQR models.
Buckling of elastic columns with second-mode imperfections

The pin-ended, slender, Euler strut has been used as the archetypal buckling problem for many years (Euler in Additamentum I de curvis elasticis, methodus inveniendi lineas curvas maximi minimivi proprietate gaudentes, Bousquet, Lausanne, 1744). Even though it is not conventionally imperfection-sensitive (i.e., in which the magnitude of the buckling load is compromised by the presence of imperfections), initial geometric imperfections are still important, and 3D-printing now allows a versatility in geometric prescription and accuracy previously unavailable. This paper focuses attention on Euler struts, primarily from an experimental viewpoint, in which a second mode (full sine wave) initial shape, with varying magnitude, is used to produce specimens, test them, and compare with the elementary theory.