cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A perspective on the role of metals in diabetes: past findings and possible future directions

In this review, the authors present a brief overview of metals and their possible roles as determinants in the pathogenesis of diabetes and complications. Of course, due to the complexity of diabetes and its far-reaching complications, it would be difficult to cover every metal that has been implicated in diabetes. Therefore, this review has two main objectives, the first of which is to educate the reader with regards to the types of diabetes and complications, especially in relation to hyperglycemia and anti-oxidant properties. Following an overview of the more cited metals in diabetes, the second objective of this review is to offer some opinions about current needs in the area of metal analysis. Specifically, the challenges for scientists to perform quantitative determinations on biological samples in near-real time with subcellular-level spatial resolution.
A note on “Supply chain capability as a determinant of FDI”

Purpose – The purpose of this commentary is to outline an extension of the position of the focal article regarding importance of location‐based advantages, and to provide a critique related to conceptual development of country‐level supply chain capability (SCC).Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a commentary and a critique of the country‐level SCC concept.Findings – The author sees this study by Alam and Bagchi as a good starting point for research on the mechanisms of resource picking at national level to develop national‐level capabilities.Research limitations/implications – It will be interesting to see how capabilities at country level lead to emergence of unique, country‐specific advantages around specific industries or industry clusters.Originality/value – The commentary emphasizes how climate change concerns and environmental proactivity are emerging as important drivers of location‐specific advantages related to local production and logistics environment. Furthermore, this ...
On the scattering of the Th C" γ-rays

The absorption of Th C” γ-rays in matter may be satisfactorily accounted for by the Compton scattering, the photo-effect, and the production of electron positron pairs, for the theoretical formulae (1) for these three effects give an absorption which agrees with experiment within experimental precision and the accuracy of the formulae.
Rupture details of the 28 March 2005 Sumatra Mw 8.6 earthquake imaged with teleseismic P waves

[1] We image the rupture of the 28 March 2005 Sumatra Mw 8.6 earthquake by back-projecting teleseismic P waves recorded by the Global Seismic Network and the Japanese Hi-net to their source. The back-projected energy suggests that the rupture started slowly, had a total duration of about 120 s, and propagated at 2.9 to 3.3 km/s from the hypocenter in two different directions: first toward the north for ∼100 km and then, after a ∼40 s delay, toward the southeast for ∼200 km. Our images are consistent with a rupture area of ∼40,000 km2, the locations of the first day of aftershocks, and the Harvard CMT Mw of 8.6, which implies an average slip of ∼6 m. The earthquake is similar in its location, size, and geometry to a Mw ∼8.5 event in 1861. Our estimated average slip is consistent with a partially coupled subduction interface, GPS forearc velocities, and the ∼59 mm/yr convergence rate if the 2005 earthquake released elastic strain that accumulated over many hundreds of years rather than just since the last 1861 event.
Effect of beta agonists on protein turnover in adipose tissue

Abstract Chronic administration (21 days) of the beta agonist cimaterol to rats decreased epididymal fat by 27%, and inhibited in vitro rates of protein synthesis by 34% and net protein breakdown by 71% in adipose tissue. Likewise, incubation of rat adipose tissue with cimaterol and isoproterenol stimulated lipolysis, and inhibited protein synthesis and degradation. Thus, in addition to affecting muscle mass and lipid metabolism, beta agonists appear to slow rates of protein turnover in adipose tissue.
A novel approach for the estimation of soil ground heat flux

Abstract Most conventional numerical schemes for soil ground heat flux estimation rely on the knowledge of the temporal evolution of soil temperature. Here we propose and test a novel scheme, which requires no information on soil temperatures to supplement the flux plate measurement. The proposed method is based on the fundamental solution of the one-dimensional heat equation and Duhamel's principle for the incorporation of inhomogeneous boundary conditions. Being completely independent of the soil temperature, the new scheme therefore avoids a potential source of error in measurements and in heat storage calculation. The only thermal property involved in the new scheme is the thermal diffusivity of the soil, which is a weak function of soil water content and can be approximated as constant with reasonable accuracy. For validation, the proposed method is compared to the conventional approach using a canonical one-dimensional heat conduction problem, as well as real field measurements. Results of the comparison highlight that the new model is robust and capable of preserving the good accuracy of the conventional approach with reduced input information. In addition, the effect of inclusion of the heat storage term in the ground heat flux is evaluated in the context of surface energy balance closure for field measurements.
Upper gastrointestinal disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

Upper gastrointestinal series were done in 140 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis, irrespective of the presence or absence of symptoms suggesting upper gastrointestinal disease. In addition, intraluminal pH and manometric studies of the esophagus and esophagoscopy were done in 66 of these 140 patients. Gastric ulcers were found in 12 patients, and duodenal ulcers in 27, an incidence of peptic ulcer disease of 27.8%. The higher incidence of ulcer disease was found in patients on corticoid and in combination with indomethacin or phenylbutazone. No ulcer occurred in patients receiving gold therapy. Of the 66 patients who had esophageal motility study, a significantly lower mean amplitude of peristaltic contractions was noted in the lower two-thirds of the esophagus. The resting pressure in the inferior esophageal sphincter was also significantly lower than in the control group. However, no correlation was found between these two parameters and the duration or ARA stages of rheumatoid arthritis. It is impossible to determine whether the upper gastrointestinal dysfunction observed in these patients is another systemic manifestation of the rheumatoid disease or due to drugs.
Invariant imbedding and radiation dosimetry—III integral recurrence relations for finite order X and Y functions

Abstract Numerical evaluation of X and Y functions (which are related to the transmitted and reflected flux of radiation from a target slab) are relevant to computing the dosage received by irradiated bodies in problems met with in radiation dosimetry. We concentrate on the finite order X and Y functions and obtain linear recurrence relations which makes for easy computation.
Combined vector quantization and adaptive histogram equalization

Adaptive histogram equalization is a contrast enhancement technique in which each pixel is remapped to an intensity proportional to its rank among surrounding pixels in a selected neighborhood. We present work in which adaptive histogram equalization is performed on the codebook of a tree-structured vector quantizer so that encoding with the resulting codebook performs both compression and contrast enhancement. The algorithm was tested on magnetic resonance brain scans from different subjects and the resulting images were significantly contrast enhanced.
Memory Functioning in Developmental Dyslexia: An Analysis Using Two Clinical Memory Measures

The goals of this project were threefold: to determine the nature of the memory deficit in children/adolescents with dyslexia, to utilize clinical memory measures in this endeavor, and to determine the extent to which semantic short-term memory (STM) is related to basic reading performance. Two studies were conducted using different samples, one incorporating the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning and the other incorporating the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version. Results suggest that phonological STM is deficient in children with dyslexia, but semantic STM and visual-spatial STM are intact. Long-term memory (LTM) for both visual and verbal material also is intact. Regarding reading performance, semantic STM had small correlations with word identification and pseudoword decoding across studies despite phonological STM being moderately to strongly related to both basic reading skills. Overall, results are consistent with the phonological core deficit model of dyslexia as only phonological STM was affected in dyslexia and related to basic reading skill.
Approximation and extension of random functions

Stochastic versions of the extension theorems of Tietze and Dugundji are obtained, as well as an existence theorem for partitions of unity by random continuous functions. A form of the classical approximation theorem of Mergelyan valid for random holomorphic functions on random compact sets is presented. A similar approach yields versions of the approximation theorems of Runge, Arakelyan, and Vitushkin.
Beyond responsiveness to identity badges: future research on culture in disability and implications for Response to Intervention

I critique in this article the construct of culture because of its centrality in creating the notion of difference, which has been commonly applied to marginalized populations. I examine critically how the notion of culture has been theorized in educational research as a means to obtain theoretical clarity in research design and reporting, as well as inform future policy and reform efforts. I reframe the idea of culture to transcend the favored focus on background markers and include institutional and social practices to expand the unit of analysis beyond stereotyped groups or individuals. This perspective will enable us to understand how the constructs of learning, ability, and culture get increasingly intertwined with damaging consequences that perpetuate historical injustices. I illustrate the framework with a critique of Response to Intervention (RTI) by outlining the ways in which the idea of culture has been taken up in this research. The proposed standpoint empowers us to rely on a view of culture ...
Generating New Sources of Revenue.

This chapter focuses on successful practices in fundraising through contractual, partnership, and entrepreneurial activities by community colleges.
Exact confidence regions and tests in some linear functional relationships

Abstract Exact confidence regions and tests are derived for the slope parameter in some univariate and multivariate functional relationship models. The results apply to the cases where the error variance may be known or unknown.
Sterilization problems of synthetic biocompatible materials.

The past, present, and future of biocompatible materials are reviewed as they relate to cardiovascular prostheses. Many of these materials are no longer simple systems and do not lend themselves to conventional steam or heat sterilization procedures by virtue of their lability. The object of this paper is to briefly discuss sterilization problems encountered with these labile materials using ionization radiation and gases, in terms of their physico-chemical structures.
Shear Modulus and Viscosity of Deionized Suspensions of Charged Liposomes

The frequency-dependent shear modulus and viscosity of suspensions of charged liposomes were measured by use of an oscillating optical trap. Deionized suspensions of extruded 100 nm unilamellar liposomes composed of PG:PC mixtures form electrostatically-stabilized gels. A 1.5 μm polystyrene probe particle is suspended in the gel, trapped by optical tweezers, and the trap is oscillated over a frequency range ω = 1-1000 Hz. The relative displacement and phase of the probe in the trap yield the complex response function G(ω), whose real and imaginary parts G′(ω) and G″(ω) are the storage and loss moduli, respectively, which are related to the shear modulus and viscosity of the gel. The dependence of shear modulus on liposome charge can thus be measured. For PG:PC 1:5 (mol:mol) liposomes at 12% volume fraction, we find G′(ω) ∼ 1000 dyne/cm2 over the entire frequency range. This result is consistent with earlier measurements on similar liposome suspensions by an oscillating bobbin technique and is comparable to the shear moduli of colloidal crystals composed of polystyrene spheres of similar size at similar volume fractions. Given the polydispersity of the liposomes (Δr/r ∼ 0.3) compared to that of the polystyrene spheres (Δr/r ∼ 0.02), the liposome suspension is surprisingly rigid. We use the analysis of Joanny (1979) with Poisson-Boltzmann potentials to relate the shear modulus of the liposome gel to the average liposome charge. Such measurements offer a new way to determine the charge of liposomes, biological vesicles, and other nanoparticles.
Application of stochastic optimization method for an urban corridor

This paper presents a stochastic traffic signal optimization method that consists of the CORSIM microscopic traffic simulation model and a heuristic optimizer. For the heuristic optimizer, the performance of three widely used optimization methods (i.e., genetic algorithm, simulated annealing and OptQuest Engine) was compared using a real world test corridor with 12 signalized intersections in Fairfax, Virginia, USA. The performance of the proposed stochastic optimization method was compared with an existing signal timing optimization program, SYNCHRO, under microscopic simulation environment. The results indicated that the genetic algorithm-based optimization method out-performs the SYNCHRO program as well as the other stochastic optimization methods in the optimization of traffic signal timings for the test corridor.
Consistent mapping and automatic visual search: comparing persons with and without intellectual disability.

Background Merrill et al. (1996) reported that persons with intellectual disability (ID) were slower at learning a visual search task to automaticity relative to persons of the same age without ID. For persons without ID, automaticity develops most rapidly under conditions in which a response is always the same for a particular stimulus. This study was designed to investigate whether persons with and without ID are differentially sensitive to the influence of consistently mapped versus inconsistently mapped stimulus responses. Methods The primary manipulation was the consistency between a particular stimulus and the response to that stimulus in a visual search task. Sixteen participants with ID and 16 without ID searched displays of two, three, or four pictured objects to determine if a target was present. For half of the participants, the targets were always targets. For the other half, the targets became nontargets on 25% of the trials. Results Analyses focused on changes in response times associated with set size. Because automaticity allows for parallel processing, the elimination of significant effects of set size was taken as an index of the development of automaticity. Results indicated that inconsistent mapping significantly slowed the development of automaticity for the participants without ID but not for the participants with ID. Discussion Results were discussed in terms of the role of inhibition processes in the development of automatic search and detection. The effectiveness of inhibition processes was compromised by the consistency manipulation. The effect of the consistency manipulation was greater for the participants without ID because they were presumed to be using inhibition processes more effectively during practice than did the participants with ID.
Cramer-Rao bounds for location of unknown multiple sources in a multipath environment

The authors derive expressions for the Cramer-Rao bound on the location parameters of several stochastic sources. The source signals are Gaussian, with unknown mean and variance parameters. In this way, they are able to derive expressions that encompass the commonly considered models of unknown deterministic and zero-mean stochastic source signals. The inverse of the Cramer-Rao bound for the location parameters is the sum of two components, one representing the information in the mean of the observations, and the other associated to its stochastic nature. Both these components are equal to the information for the corresponding known source signal case minus a loss term due to lack of knowledge of the source signal moments. >
Life-cycle of Isospora ohioensis in dogs.

The life-cycle of Isospora ohioensis in dogs is described. Eight dogs were killed 6, 16, 24, 48, 72, 96, 114 and 120 h after feeding 106I. ohioensis sporocysts to each. First divisional stages occurred in the jejunum at 48 h post-inoculation (p.i.). At 48 h, zoites occurred in pairs in parasitophorous vacuoles of surface epithelial cells of the jejunum. The parasitophorous vacuoles were 7–9 × 6 μm and the zoites were 7–9 × 2·5 μm in sections. At 72 h, uninucleated zoites, multinucleated zoites and meronts containing fully formed merozoites occurred in surface epithelial cells of the jejunum. At 96, 114 and 120 h asexual multiplication occurred throughout the small and large intestine, mostly in the ileum. The number of asexual generations was not determined. At least 2 structurally distinct meronts were identified at 96–120 h p.i. Type I meronts contained larger merozoites (11 × 3 μm) than those (7·5 × 1·5 μm) in Type II meronts. Meronts were merozoite-shaped and contained up to 8 nuclei. Uninucleated, binucleated and multinucleated zoites occurred within the same parasitophorous vacuole. Gamonts occurred in surface epithelial cells of the small intestine, caecum and colon, but predominantly in the ileum, 96–120 h p.i. Macrogamonts were 13–17 × 11–12 (14·5 × 12·8) μm in sections and 21–26 × 17–25 (21·7 × 17·6) μm in smears. Microgamonts were 13–17 × 8–15 (15·3 × 11·4) μm in sections and 24–30 × 15–24 (27 × 19) μm in smears and contained up to 50 microgametes. The cycle was also studied in 6 dogs killed 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 and 120 h after feeding tissues of laboratory mice that had been infected with I. ohioensis oocysts 17 days earlier. Stages were not seen in the dogs killed at 6 and 12 h p.i. Asexual and sexual stages were structurally similar in size and location to the oocyst-induced cycle but their development was faster by 24 h in the mouse-induced cycle. Extra-intestinal stages were not found in sections of mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen, lung, liver, heart, skeletal muscle and brain. However, biological evidence indicated that I. ohioensis invaded the spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes of dogs fed oocysts.
Immediate effects of group-based wellness drumming on affective states in university students

Abstract Researchers have found recreational music making to have positive impacts and that active music-making may have benefits that extend beyond passive music listening or receptive music-based interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine the immediate effects of a single 45-min group-based wellness drumming session on the affective states of university students. Participants ( N = 50) were undergraduate and graduate university students from a variety of majors. Students in beginning classical guitar classes served as control participants. Experimental participants received a 45-min group-based wellness drumming protocol. The researchers utilized the Quick Mood Scale at pre- and posttest to assess a number of state affective components and collected qualitative data in the form of post-session comments to determine participants’ perceptions of the wellness drumming intervention. Results indicated statistically significant between-group posttest differences for wide awake/drowsy, relaxed/anxious, cheerful/depressed, friendly/aggressive, and clear-headed/confused. In all affective variables, the experimental condition had higher posttest means than the control condition. General results of this controlled effectiveness study tended to support the use of group wellness drumming based on the specific wellness drumming protocol for university students. Implications for on-campus wellness programs, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are included.
Negative-parity yrast band in 170Yb: Rotation-aligned neutrons with deformation-coupled bandhead?

Abstract A sideband in 170 Yb has been identified up to I π =17 − . It has an isomeric I =4 bandhead, yet the odd-spin states have prompt branches to the ground-state band. The contrasting properties are explained by the Coriolis effects on the quasi-particle configuration.
Data densification in a relational database system

Data in a relational data warehouse is usually sparse. That is, if no value exists for a given combination of dimension values, no row exists in the fact table. Densities of 0.1-2% are very common. However, users may want to view the data in a dense form, with rows for all combination of dimension values displayed even when no fact data exists for them. For example, if a product did not sell during a particular time period, users may still want to see the product for that time period with zero sales value next to it. Moreover, analytic window functions [1] and the SQL model clause [2] can more easily express time series calculations if data is dense along the time dimension because dense data will fill a consistent number of rows for each period.Data densification is the process of converting spare data into dense form. The current SQL technique for densification (using the combination of DISTINCT, CROSS JOIN and OUTER JOIN operations) is extremely unintuitive, difficult to express and inefficient to compute. Hence, we propose an extension to the ANSI SQL join operator, referred to as "PARTITIONED OUTER JOIN", which allows for a succinct expression of densification along the dimensions of interest. We also present various algorithms to evaluate the new join operator efficiently and compare it with existing methods of doing the equivalent operation. We also define a new window function "LAST_VALUE (IGNORE NULLS)" which is very useful with partitioned outer join.
Dietary trans fatty acids increase hepatic acyl-CoA: Cholesterol acyltransferase activity in hamsters

Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the effect of dietary trans fatty acids (TFA) on cholesterol metabolism. Although TFA are unsaturated fatty acids, their spatial configuration and physical properties are similar to saturated fatty acids (SFA). In this study, a high TFA diet (12%) was given to hamsters for 4 weeks. Hamsters fed diets high in SFA (12%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (12%) served as controls. Serum lipid profiles and the activity of a cholesterol ester synthesis enzyme, hepatic acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), were analyzed. Total cholesterol levels of TFA-fed and SFA-fed hamsters were 11.7% and 27.4% higher, respectively, than PUFA-fed hamster group (P −1 ·mg protein −1 ) compared to the PUFA-fed group (358.76 pmol·min −1 ·mg protein −1 ). Findings of this study confirmed the cholesterol-raising effect of TFA, but more importantly, they indicated the possible mechanism of such an effect. Since hepatic ACAT activities were greater among the groups that received diets high in TFA and SFA, this enzyme activity may depend on fatty acid substrate spatial configuration rather than on chain saturation. It is possible that dietary TFA increases hepatic ACAT activity and, thus, raises serum cholesterol levels.
McNeill dysphagia therapy program: a case-control study.

Carnaby-Mann GD, Crary MA. McNeill Dys- phagia Therapy Program: a case-control study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2010;91:743-9.
Do community factors have a differential impact on the health outcomes of boys and girls? Evidence from rural Pakistan

In countries with large gender disparities in health status, can investments in local communities mitigate the gender bias observed in intra-household resource allocations? This paper explores the evidence for gender differences in the impact of community prices and infrastructure on child nutritional outcomes. Standardized heights and weights of rural Pakistani children are used as health indicators, while community factors include wheat prices, availability of piped water, accessibility of shops and government health clinics and the quality of the closest health facilities. The results suggest that food subsidies and programmes designed to improve the access and quality of local services may reduce the impact of intra-household gender bias on child nutrition, particularly in the long run. Specifically, by increasing the affordability of staple foods, improving the access to shops and government health centres and enhancing the quality of local care, particularly (gender-neutral) prenatal care, gender gaps in health outcomes are likely to diminish.
Validation of MODIS Terra, AIRS, NCEP/DOE AMIP-II Reanalysis-2, and AERONET Sun photometer derived integrated precipitable water vapor using ground-based GPS receivers over India

[1] Water vapor is an important and highly variable constituent in time and space; the knowledge of its variability is important in climate studies. In India, the ground observations of water vapor using conventional methods such as radiosonde are limited. In this paper, a comparison of hourly estimates of total column water vapor from Global Positioning System (GPS) with multisensor satellite is presented over three stations. We show quantitatively seasonal and monthly dependency of bias, standard deviation, root mean square error (RMSE), and the correlation coefficient between the water vapor data sets. The GPS and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) water vapor show good agreement (R2 = 95%, RMSE 3.87 mm, GPS-AERONET bias = −2.63 mm). On the basis of multiple-year data, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer near-infrared (MODIS NIR) clear column product shows higher correlation (R2 = 89–93%) with GPS compared to infrared (IR) products (R2 = 82–84%). MODIS is found to be overestimating in NIR clear and IR products in all seasons over India where the magnitude of bias and RMSE show systematic changes from month to month. MODIS is significantly underestimating in NIR cloudy column products during summer and monsoon seasons. MODIS NIR clear column (R2 = 97%, RMSE 5.44 mm) and IR (R2 = 81%, RMSE 7.17 mm) water vapor show similar performance on comparison with AERONET data. The MODIS NIR cloudy column product shows no correlation with GPS. The GPS National Centers for Environmental Prediction/Department of Energy Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project II (GPS-NCEP/DOE AMIP-II) Reanalysis-2 water vapor show R2 = 87%, 77%, and 60% (and RMSE of 8.39 mm, 6.97 mm, and 9.30 mm) over Kanpur, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, respectively. All the satellite water vapor shows systematic bias with month and season that is found to be sensitive to the sky conditions. The magnitude of bias is invariably larger during monsoon season with relatively more cloudy days and moist atmosphere. The errors in satellite estimation are found to be invariably more during wet compared to dry months. Statistical analysis shows that MODIS NIR clear column and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) daytime water vapor are more reliable compared to other satellite estimates (MODIS IR and AIRS nighttime) except during cloudy days.
Implicit Race Bias Decreases the Similarity of Neural Representations of Black and White Faces

Implicit race bias has been shown to affect decisions and behaviors. It may also change perceptual experience by increasing perceived differences between social groups. We investigated how this phenomenon may be expressed at the neural level by testing whether the distributed blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) patterns representing Black and White faces are more dissimilar in participants with higher implicit race bias. We used multivoxel pattern analysis to predict the race of faces participants were viewing. We successfully predicted the race of the faces on the basis of BOLD activation patterns in early occipital visual cortex, occipital face area, and fusiform face area (FFA). Whereas BOLD activation patterns in early visual regions, likely reflecting different perceptual features, allowed successful prediction for all participants, successful prediction on the basis of BOLD activation patterns in FFA, a high-level face-processing region, was restricted to participants with high pro-White bias. These findings suggest that stronger implicit pro-White bias decreases the similarity of neural representations of Black and White faces.
An algorithm and review of blepharoplasty and canthopexy

The upper third of the face, anchored by the eyes, is an important cosmetic unit. While there are several noninvasive procedures that can rejuvenate this region, upper and lower blepharoplasties are still the cornerstones. By eliminating redundant skin and puffiness, the upper blepharoplasty creates more eyelid show and makes the eyes appear more prominent. The lower blepharoplasty, by conservatively removing or repositioning fat, will reduce bags and create a smooth transition between the lower eyelid and upper cheek. Simultaneous resurfacing of the lower eyelids will diminish periorbital rhytides and tighten skin after fat removal. Adjunct procedures, such as canthoplasty or the less invasive canthopexy, will decrease the risk of ectropion in those patients with pre-existing lid laxity.
Prospective analysis of effector and regulatory CD4+ T cells in chronic HCV patients undergoing combination antiviral therapy

Background/Aims The role of HCV-specific CD4 + T cells and regulatory T cells in influencing the outcome of antiviral therapy is incompletely defined. Methods CD4 + IFN-γ ELISPOT assays ( n =58) and flow cytometric analysis of FoxP3-expressing T regulatory cells ( n =62) were performed on patients from the Virahep-C study at baseline, during and after cessation of antiviral therapy. Results Total HCV-specific IFN-γ CD4 + T cell ELISPOT responses did not increase with therapy, but rather decreased by 8 weeks and remained below baseline 24 weeks after cessation of therapy. There were no statistically significant differences with respect to viral kinetics, race and virologic outcome. In contrast, viral relapse after treatment was associated with a three-fold increase in HCV-specific responses. The frequency and phenotype of regulatory T cells during therapy were not significantly different in terms of race, viral kinetic groups or virologic outcome. Conclusions A contraction of HCV-specific CD4 + T cell responses was found during treatment with recovery of responses in patients experiencing virologic relapse after treatment. The levels of FoxP3-expressing regulatory T cells did not vary by race and were not predictive of virologic outcome. Work is ongoing to explore the contribution of mechanisms independent of CD4 + T cells in therapy-induced viral clearance.
Evolutionary Relationship of Disease Resistance Genes in Soybean and Arabidopsis Specific for the Pseudomonas syringae Effectors AvrB and AvrRpm1

In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the Pseudomonas syringae effector proteins AvrB and AvrRpm1 are both detected by the RESISTANCE TO PSEUDOMONAS MACULICOLA1 (RPM1) disease resistance (R) protein. By contrast, soybean (Glycine max) can distinguish between these effectors, with AvrB and AvrRpm1 being detected by the Resistance to Pseudomonas glycinea 1b (Rpg1b) and Rpg1r R proteins, respectively. We have been using these genes to investigate the evolution of R gene specificity and have previously identified RPM1 and Rpg1b. Here, we report the cloning of Rpg1r, which, like RPM1 and Rpg1b, encodes a coiled-coil (CC)-nucleotide-binding (NB)-leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein. As previously found for Rpg1b, we determined that Rpg1r is not orthologous with RPM1, indicating that the ability to detect both AvrB and AvrRpm1 evolved independently in soybean and Arabidopsis. The tightly linked soybean Rpg1b and Rpg1r genes share a close evolutionary relationship, with Rpg1b containing a recombination event that combined a NB domain closely related to Rpg1r with CC and LRR domains from a more distantly related CC-NB-LRR gene. Using structural modeling, we mapped polymorphisms between Rpg1b and Rpg1r onto the predicted tertiary structure of Rpg1b, which revealed highly polymorphic surfaces within both the CC and LRR domains. Assessment of chimeras between Rpg1b and Rpg1r using a transient expression system revealed that AvrB versus AvrRpm1 specificity is determined by the C-terminal portion of the LRR domain. The P. syringae effector AvrRpt2, which targets RPM1 INTERACTOR4 (RIN4) proteins in both Arabidopsis and soybean, partially blocked recognition of both AvrB and AvrRpm1 in soybean, suggesting that both Rpg1b and Rpg1r may detect these effectors via modification of a RIN4 homolog.
Evaluation of factors associated with glucocorticoid‐induced osteopenia in patients with rheumatic diseases

In 161 ambulatory rheumatic disease patients receiving long-term prednisone therapy, diaphyseal mass (DM) and metaphyseal mass (MM) of the forearm were measured by single photon absorptiometry, and bone radiographs were reviewed when available. Multivariate analysis of treatment and patient characteristics demonstrated that glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia (defined as an elevated DM:MM ratio) and bone fractures occurred with similar frequency in patients of each sex, in whites and blacks, in patients with various rheumatic diseases, and in patients receiving different regimens of prednisone therapy. However, large cumulative doses of prednisone were associated with elevated DM:MM ratios as well as with bone fractures, and menopause or age greater than or equal to 50 years (males or females) was associated with bone fractures. We conclude that long-term therapy with various prednisone regimens results in glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia and fractures. This affect is cumulative, occurs in all patient groups, and results in more bone fractures in certain groups.
Anthropology As Empirical Science

Many anthropologists argue that human affairs are subjective and therefore outside the realm of empirical science. While this position is based on important observations about the process of understanding human affairs, the arguments employed do not imply that the application of empirical science to the explanation of human affairs is either impossible or inappropriate, as some critics maintain.
The liver and hemorrhagic shock.

l c t i t z i U o t l r p g a d c t r istorical perspective lthough anecdotal reports of liver trauma such as that f Hellwig and Orr alluded to the effect of shock on the iver, the first large clinical review of liver ischemia was ublished by Bywaters in 1946. Forty-two patients dyng from blunt trauma were presented and autopsy maerial was examined. Twenty-seven (64%) patients in his group were hypotensive, as defined in this study by systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg, from 1 to ore than 10 hours. Histologically, some degree of liver ecrosis was found in eight of these patients, particularly n those with more prolonged periods of shock. The attern of necrosis was noted to be midzonal or paracenral, sparing the periportal and, many times, the central egions of the lobule. The earliest necrotic changes were een as soon as 24 hours after injury. Bywaters concluded hat the most likely explanation for this phenomenon as liver anoxia from hemorrhagic shock. The role of hock in production of hepatocyte necrosis was eluciated by Ellenberg and Osserman in 1951. Of 34 paients with central liver cell necrosis, 32 (94%) were ssociated with shock. Again, the duration of shock eemed to be a principal determinant of the presence of ecrosis. The midzonal pattern of cell damage, however, as not as clearly seen. Preexisting conditions, such as irrhosis, in many of the patients might have resulted in ore extensive lobular injury than was seen by others. In 967, Kantrowitz and coauthors published a detailed linicopathologic analysis of four patients suffering arked liver impairment after hemorrhagic shock. Hyerbilirubinemia began early, around the third or fourth ostoperative day, and progressed to profound degrees, p to 39 mg/dL by postoperative days 9 to 18. This was ssociated with elevations of alkaline phosphatase, hich gave the impression of cholestatic jaundice de-
Does Suicidal Ideation as Measured by the PHQ-9 Predict Suicide Among VA Patients?

Objective:Frequency of suicidal ideation in the past two weeks, assessed by item 9 of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), has been positively associated with suicide mortality among patients in a setting other than the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). To inform suicide prevention activities at the VHA, it is important to evaluate whether item 9 is associated with suicide risk among patients in the VHA system.Methods:PHQ-9 assessments (N=447,245) conducted by the VHA between October 1, 2009, and September 30, 2010, were collected. National Death Index data were used to ascertain suicide mortality from the date of PHQ-9 assessment through September 30, 2011. Multivariable proportional hazards regressions were used to evaluate associations between responses to item 9 and suicide mortality.Results:After the analyses adjusted for covariates, a response of “several days” for item 9 was associated with a 75% increased risk of suicide (hazard ratio [HR]=1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.24...
Characteristic Dynamic Enhancement Pattern of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Malignant Thyroid Tumor: A Preliminary Report

Most thyroid diseases are evaluated by radionuclide scintigraphy, sonography or percutaneous needle biopsy. Sonography is perhaps the most definitive method for evaluation of nodules in a thyroid gland. However, the disadvantages of this technique include limited penetration in some anatomic locations, such as retrotracheal and substernal areas, and a limited field of view for assessing large masses. Further, current diagnostic methods may not enable the accurate detection of the malignant nature of a thyroid nodule, especially in a multinodular goiter. Therefore, new techniques are being investigated to improve the evaluation of thyroid nodules. The magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has a minor role in the evaluation of most patients with thyroid nodules or goiters, because of inadequate spatial and contrast resolution and only a few cases documented. However, technological advances have provided good spatial and contrast resolution in the neck including the thyroid gland, parathyroid gland and lymph node. Also it has made available the dynamic keyhole imaging of the thyroid nodule with spin echo sequences. The aim of our study was to evaluate this new technique in the routine evaluation of possible thyroid cancer, and particularly for the determination of the characteristic MR dynamic Original Article
Evaluation of algorithm methods for fluorescence spectra of cancerous and normal human tissues

The paper focus on the various algorithms on to unravel the fluorescence spectra by unmixing methods to identify cancerous and normal human tissues from the measured fluorescence spectroscopy. The biochemical or morphologic changes that cause fluorescence spectra variations would appear earlier than the histological approach; therefore, fluorescence spectroscopy holds a great promise as clinical tool for diagnosing early stage of carcinomas and other deceases for in vivo use. The method can further identify tissue biomarkers by decomposing the spectral contributions of different fluorescent molecules of interest. In this work, we investigate the performance of blind source un-mixing methods (backward model) and spectral fitting approaches (forward model) in decomposing the contributions of key fluorescent molecules from the tissue mixture background when certain selected excitation wavelength is applied. Pairs of adenocarcinoma as well as normal tissues confirmed by pathologist were excited by selective wavelength of 340 nm. The emission spectra of resected fresh tissue were used to evaluate the relative changes of collagen, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and Flavin by various spectral un-mixing methods. Two categories of algorithms: forward methods and Blind Source Separation [such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA), and Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF)] will be introduced and evaluated. The purpose of the spectral analysis is to discard the redundant information which conceals the difference between these two types of tissues, but keep their diagnostically significance. The facts predicted by different methods were compared to the gold standard of histopathology. The results indicate that these key fluorophores within tissue, e.g. tryptophan, collagen, and NADH, and flavin, show differences of relative contents of fluorophores among different types of human cancer and normal tissues. The sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) are finally employed as the criteria to evaluate the efficacy of these methods in cancer detection. The underlying physical and biological basis for these optical approaches will be discussed with examples. This ex vivo preliminary trial demonstrates that these different criteria from different methods can distinguish carcinoma from normal tissues with good sensitivity and specificity while among them, we found that ICA appears to be the superior method in predication accuracy.
A Case of Diffuse Calcified Airway Nodules

Awoman inher40shadan8-year historyof progressivedyspneaassociatedwithnonproductive cough. Hermedical historywas notable for dyspepsia, hypertension, and diabetes. Shehadnohistoryof smoking, typeBsymptoms, angiotensin-convertingenzyme-inhibitor use,orknowncardiacpathologicabnormalities.Findings fromacompleteheadandneckexaminationwerewithin normal limitsasidefromlaryngeal findings.Flexible laryngoscopywithvideostroboscopyrevealed rightvocal fold polypand leftvocal folddesquamation,withbilateral linearbandsalong thevocal folds. Initial treatmentwithprotonpump inhibitors andevaluation by the gastroenterology unit did not improve her symptoms, so furtherworkupwas undertaken.Noncontrast computed tomography (CT) revealednumerouscalcified subglottic and tracheal nodules extending from the cricoid to the leftmainstembronchus (Figure, A). She underwentdirect laryngoscopyandbronchoscopywithbiopsies.Oninduction,subglottic firm massconsistentwithcalcificationpreventedpassageofanendotrachealtube,andthepatient’s airwaywas securedwith a rigid bronchoscope. Further examination revealed edema of the vocal foldswithmultiplesubmucosalmasses inthesubglottisanduppertrachea(Figure,B-D). The lesionswerevaryingsizes, andnotallwerecalcified.Theyaffected theanterior cartilaginous trachea and the posterior membranous portion. Biopsy specimens of representative lesions revealedamorphous,eosinophilicmaterialwithcalcification,metaplasticossification, andmultinucleated foreign-bodygiant cells. Thediseasewas treatedwithdebulkingof scattered lesions from the glottis through to bothmain stembronchi and airway dilation,which provided symptomatic relief. Quiz at jamaotolaryngology.com Endoscopic image C
Ovariectomy-induced tubulin polymerization in pregnant rat mammary gland.

The pool of polymerized (microtubular) tubulin in the mammary glands of pregnant rats, ovariectomized (OVX) at 18 days, increased approximately threefold between 18 and 24 hr following ovariectomy. as determined by 'H-colchicine binding assay, while that of the sham- operated animals showed no change. Total tubulin content did not change in either OVX or sham animals. The polymerized pool and the total tubulin in 9-day lactating mammary glands
Time and Space

Rhetorical figures of speech are a common occurrence in language. We employ them consciously as such. There are also philosophical figures of speech, which can be recognized by analysis. By philosophical figures Maimon understands imaginary ideas or fictions that are represented by concepts, to which they do not adequately correspond, but which are applied only by virtue of an act of imagination. These concepts were originally formed with reference to objects for which they were adequate. They are real only in relation to the objects constituting their original domain; they are imaginary when abstracted from these objects and transferred to other objects by an act of the imagination. Philosophical figures differ from rhetorical figures merely in that their origin is more difficult to determine. It is the task of philosophy to demonstrate the illusory nature of the “fictional” character of these concepts by discovering their true origin.
Breeding Habits and Economic Relations of the Dalles Pocket Gopher

The material presented in this article is the result of cooperation between the Oregon State College Experiment Station represented by the writer, and the Dufur Orchard Company of Eastern Oregon, represented by Mr. H. C. Stockdale, efficiency expert with the Dufur Orchard Company, and Mr. J. R. Brown, assistant horticulturist, to whom was assigned the duty of controlling the pocket gopher in these orchards when it was unexpectedly found to be one of the foremost economic problems on this 7000 acre plant. The gravity of the situation resulting from the work of this pocket gopher in orchards can best be illustrated by giving the result of a careful check made by Mr. Brown and myself during August, 1920. The heaviest infestation was found in a 60 acre cherry orchard which ideally demonstrates the damage that may follow if any horticulturist in the area infested by the Dalles gopher, Thomomys quadratus quadratus, fails to practice efficient control measures. This orchard was not consistently summer cultivated, as is the usual custom in orchards of that section, and trapping had been discontinued as a hopeless task. It was found that 71 per cent of the trees had been killed and 21 per cent were injured beyond recovery, leaving less than 8 per cent of the trees uninjured. In badly infested apple orchards, situated along the margins of rough uncultivated pasture land or gullies, 60 per cent of the trees were either dead or badly injured in spite of the fact that these areas were cultivated. The more centrally located areas were not so severely attacked, but the presence of gopher work everywhere throughout this 4000 acre orchard made the problem exceedingly serious. Up to the time the matter was brought to our attention by a letter from Mr. Stockdale, the Macabee trap had proved to be the only practical method of combating this little pest. Other work prevented the writer from giving direct attention to the problem at the time, but Mr. Stockdale was advised to determine this gopher's favorite food and to prepare a poison bait, using the formula given in Oregon Agricultural College Experiment Station Bulletin No. 153, which contains a method of control for the large gopher of the Willamette Valley, Thomomys bulbivorus. This was immediately done and the poisoned bait prepared by Mr. Stockdale and Mr. Browni gave such satisfactory results that the Macabee trap was discarded as a control method. It was 40