cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous Graves' Disease and Cushing's Syndrome with Unusually Low Levels of Plasma Cortisol

Abstract The clinical course and laboratory findings of a 56-yr-old woman with simultaneous Graves′ disease and Cushing's syndrome are presented and discussed. The hyperthyroidism was treated first and found to be unusually resistant to therapy. The hyperadrenocorticism was unusual in that the concentrations of cortisol binding globulin (CBG) and cortisol in the plasma were low. After euthyroidism had been achieved the CBG rose to normal and the plasma cortisol concentrations became elevated. Bilateral nodular cortical adrenal hyperplasia was found at operation.
Dynamics of self-organized χ(2) gratings in optical fibers

In this paper we report experiments on the dynamic of self-organized (chi)(2) gratings. An important observation is that the initial growth rate of (chi)(2) gratings is always linear in time. A fast transient and slow fluctuations are also observed in certain cases. The initial growth rate of the grating amplitude as a function of the irradiances of the seeding fundamental ((omega)) and second harmonic (2(omega)) beams was measured and was determined to have a power dependence on I(2(omega)) of exponent 1.48 +/- 0.2, and on I((omega)) of 0.9 +/- 0.2. A model based on selective ionization of dipolar defects due to an interference between two-photon and three-photon processes has been explored in the context of these results.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
U.S. Pensions in the 2000s: The Lost Decade?

The last three decades saw a sharp decline in traditional defined benefit (DB) pensions and a corresponding rise in defined contribution (DC) plans. Using the Survey of Consumer Finances from 1983 to 2010, I find that after robust gains in the 1980s and 1990s, pension wealth experienced a marked slowdown in growth from 2001 to 2007 and then fell in absolute terms from 2007 to 2010. Median augmented wealth (the sum of net worth, pensions, and Social Security wealth) advanced slower than median net worth from 1983 to 2007 and its inequality rose more, as DB wealth fell off. However, from 2007 to 2010, the opposite occurred. While median wealth plummeted by 41 percent and inequality spiked by 0.032 Gini points, median augmented wealth fell by only 21 percent and its Gini coefficient rose by only 0.009 points. The differences are due to the moderating influence of Social Security wealth.
Indians and anthropologists: Whose predicament now?

Clifton, James A., ed. The Invented Indian: Cultural Fictions and Government Policies. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1990. xii + 388 pp. including notes, chapter references, appendix, and index. $39.95 cloth. Green, Donald E. and Thomas V. Tonnesen, eds. American Indians: Social Justice and Public Policy. Milwaukee: Institute on Race and Ethnicity, University of Wisconsin, 1991. xiv + 270 pp. including chapter references. $30.00 cloth, $14.95 paper. White, Robert H. Tribal Assets: The Rebirth of Native America. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1991. iv + 291 pp. including maps and index. $24.95 cloth.
Strengthening behavior of particulate reinforced MMCs

The addition of ceramic reinforcement particulates to metallic matrices generally leads to substantial improvements in elastic modulus [1]. In addition, metal matrix composites (MMCs) often exhibit combinations of tensile strength and abrasion resistance that are superior to those of the unreinforced matrices [ 1-4]. In view of the intrinsically complex microstructures that are typically associated with MMCs, it is often difficult to provide a quantitative analysis of strengthening behavior in these materials. Factors such as the interactions between hard, non-deformable ceramic particulates, and a relatively soft matrix [1, 5], the presence of numerous reinforcement/matrix interfaces [6-8]; the formation of complex, high density dislocation structures in interfacial areas [2-4, 9]; the development of internal stresses in the matrix [4, 10, 11 ]; and accelerated precipitation kinetics [3, 9, 12-15] have all been proposed to influence the strength of MMCs. A survey of the available scientific literature demonstrates that numerous theoretical models have been developed to correlate the mechanical behavior of MMCs with their microstxuctural characteristics. These models may be loosely grouped into two general categories: load transfer models and matrix strengthening models. The load transfer models, such as, Eshelby's model [5], shear lag model [16], and modified shear lag model [1], were developed on the basis that the hard, relatively undeformable reinforcements may carry more load than the relatively soft matrix. These models have been successfully utilized to predict the elastic modulus of MMCs, although the calculated strength values are not always in good agreement to those observed experimentally. In view of this discrepancy, a modified strengthening model is developed in the present work, taking into consideration both load transfer and matrix strengthening.
Variable expression of P-glycoprotein in normal, inflamed, and dysplastic areas in ulcerative colitis.

Screening programs for the detection of cancer in ulcerative colitis are inexact and not always successful in finding early, curable cancers. P-glycoprotein is a membrane-based, energy-dependent protein found in varying degrees within normal human tissue. P-glycoprotein is overexpressed in malignant tumors, particularly colorectal cancer, and is known to convey resistance to certain anticancer drugs by acting as a membrane “pump.” The purpose of this study was to determine the expression of this protein in inflamed and premalignant colonic epithelium, compare its expression with normal controls, and assess its potential use as a screening tool for high-risk patients with ulcerative colitis. Using immunohistochemical techniques, the colons of 21 patients (10 with dysplasia) with ulcerative colitis were stained with monoclonal antibody C-219 (MAbC219) specific for P-glycoprotein. P-glycoprotein was expressed in 38 percent of normal areas, 71 percent of inflamed areas (P=0.0156), and 70 percent of dysplastic areas. Comparing the level of expression when progressing from normal to inflamed areas within a given patient, 11 patients (52 percent) showed increased expression, 8 (38 percent) showed equal expression, and only 2 (10 percent) showed decreased expression (P=0.0225). Comparing expression when progressing from inflamed to dysplastic areas (10 patients), 7 showed equal expression and 3 showed increased expression (P=0.25). Increasing duration of disease was associated with a significant increase in P-glycoprotein expression, but only in histologically normal areas. Duration of disease had no effect on P-glycoprotein expression in inflamed or dysplastic areas. Similarly, when surgery was performed for elective reasons, there was a significant overexpression of P-glycoprotein, but only in histologically normal areas. Our findings suggest that the increase in P-glycoprotein expression from normal to inflamed and dysplastic areas reflects the premalignant nature of ulcerative colitis and occurs early in the course of the disease. Further research needs to be done to determine its role in cancer surveillance.
ATO: the forefront of APL treatment?

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is the standard induction treatment of relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). [ 1 ][1] Now Mathews and colleagues from India show that single-agent ATO can induce and maintain a molecular remission in patients with newly diagnosed APL. Several large randomized and
An empirical examination of the validity of fiedler's model of leadership effectiveness

Abstract Forty-eight four-man groups were employed in an examination of the validity of group performance predictions generated by Fiedler's Contingency Model. The results of univariate and multivariate analyses of variance for a 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 (LPC × Leader—Member Relations × Task Structure × Position Power) factorial design failed to support the model. Limitations on the model's generalizability or the model's possible lack of predictive validity are offered as explanations for these data.
Dancing statues and the myth of Venice: ancient sculpture on the Opera stage

This essay considers seventeenth-century Venetian dancing statues in the context of the public statuary assembled from the Grimani legacy to the Serenissima and exhibited in the Biblioteca Marciana. Taking into account Elizabeth Cropper’s notion of the ‘Pygmalion effect’ in engravings of sculpture, it considers how the statuary may have fuelled the operatic imagination: fi rst, as a repertory of historical and mythological characters; second, as an integral element of stage design and essential props used to an aura of the antique; fi nally, as latent dancers with the unexpected power to come to life and dance the myth of Venice. In so doing thedancing statues embody Seicento notions about sculpture’s inherently lifelike nature and performativity
Semi-classical implementation of mapping Hamiltonian methods for general non-adiabatic problems

Abstract We present a general semi-classical implementation of the mapping Hamiltonian formulation of electronically non-adiabatic dynamics. The approach is based on a stationary phase approximation to the mapping Hamiltonian propagator. We demonstrate the accuracy of the approach in model applications to quite general coupled potentials representing the non-adiabatic problem.
Surgeon-performed ultrasound for diagnosis of pyloric stenosis is accurate, reproducible, and clinically valuable.

Abstract Purpose We will demonstrate that a surgical resident with proven accuracy in the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) can teach other surgeons to diagnose HPS with reproducible accuracy. Methods A surgical resident with proven sonographic accuracy in diagnosing HPS instructed 5 other surgical residents in the technique. Consecutive patients referred to pediatric surgery with a presumed clinical diagnosis of HPS were examined, and measurements of residents were compared with formal radiology studies. Each surgeon was proctored for 5 examinations before independent evaluation and was blinded to results from both radiologists and other residents. Results were evaluated using Student's t test; P less than .05 was considered significant. Results Seventy-one patients were evaluated by 5 surgical residents. Residents were diagnostically accurate in all cases. There was no statistically significant difference between pyloric muscle thickness or channel length measurements obtained by radiology and any of the residents. Conclusion Surgeon-performed ultrasound examination for the diagnosis of HPS is accurate and reproducible through surgeon-to-surgeon instruction on appropriate technique. This skill is a valuable asset in the initial surgical evaluation of any patient with suspected HPS, expediting appropriate management.
Development of category-based reasoning in 4- to 7-year-old children: the influence of label co-occurrence and kinship knowledge.

Category-based reasoning is central to mature cognition; however, the developmental course of this ability remains contested. One strong indicator of category-based reasoning is the propensity to make inferences based on semantically similar labels. Recent evi- dence indicates that in preschool-age children the effects of semantically similar labels are limited to a small subset of labels that co-occur in child-directed speech, suggesting that perfor- mance with these labels may reflect lexical priming rather than category-based reasoning. However, most co-occurring labels used in prior research refer to offspring-parent relationships (e.g., puppy-dog). Thus, it is possible that children in previous research performed induction by relying on kinship rather than co-occur- rence information. To address this possibility, the current studies examined the role of kinship knowledge and label co-occurrence in induction in 4- to 7-year-old children and adults. The results point to a gradual age-related increase in the ability to spontane- ously rely on kinship knowledge when making inferences.
Modal Analysis of Nanoplasmonic Multilayer Spherical Resonators

The resonance wavelengths, quality factors, and electromagnetic field profiles of multilayered metal plasmonic nanospheres are presented. Quantitative results are obtained using a recently developed finite-difference time-domain algorithm suited for structures with spherical invariance. The resonance modes of multilayered metal plasmonic nanospheres are explained as hybrid modes consisting of surface plasmon polariton resonances associated with each metal-dielectric interface. Multilayered metallic nanospheres exhibit complicated and numerous modes as the number of layers increases; however, the highest quality factor hybrid modes are those associated with the odd-like modes of each individual metal layer. Applications in nanoplasmonic lasers are highlighted.
Adaptive and Fault Tolerant Simulation of Relativistic Particle Transport with Data-Level Checkpointing

Many scientific applications exhibit high demands on memory storage and computing capability. Improvements in commodity processors and networks have provided an opportunity to support such scientific applications within an everyday computing infrastructure. Good applications need the ability to work in constantly changing environments. Adaptability and fault tolerance are essential. Based on simulation of relativistic particle transport, this paper proposes a data-level checkpointing scheme for common scientific applications. This scheme takes advantage of the regular program layout, dominant computing loops, and fine-grained iterations. Without handling stack and heap segments directly, only application data is saved and restored as the computation state. Checkpointing interval can be dynamically adjusted to satisfy sensitivity and efficiency requirements for feasible fault tolerance. With this periodic but fixed-location checkpointing scheme, the MPI- based simulation system can be reconfigured by being shut down first and then restarted on same or different computer clusters. Application data can be redistributed for the new configuration. Experimental results have demonstrated this scheme's efficiency and effectiveness.
The future of the female condom.

More than 10 years have elapsed since the female condom became widely available, and it remains the only femaleinitiated means of preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. The female condom was developed as an alternative to the male condom, and it was hailed as a method that would enable women to have greater control over their own protection from disease. With the support of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), public and private funders, and the manufacturer, more than 90 developing countries have introduced the method through public distribution, social marketing campaigns or commercial outlets. In several countries that have actively promoted its use, such as South Africa, Brazil, Ghana and Zimbabwe, steadily increasing female condom sales to the government suggest that effective programs can generate demand. At the same time, there have been disappointments. Uptake in the West and in some developing countries has been lower than was initially anticipated, demonstrating that successful introduction will not be as straightforward as was hoped. 1 A study by Kulczycki and colleagues published earlier this year shows that the method is not popular among some women. 2 Indeed, there are still gaps in knowledge about how acceptable the female condom is for long-term use and whether promoting it can help reduce STI rates. Despite both successes and disappointments, promotion of the female condom remains important, especially in the face of heterosexually acquired HIV infection rates that are soaring globally. It is unfortunate, therefore, that a discourse has emerged recently that marginalizes the female condom as a viable prevention option, out of concerns about its high cost and the need for women to obtain their partner’s cooperation in order to use it. 3 Such a conclusion is premature, as the picture is far more complex. In this viewpoint, we review what has been learned about the female condom over the past decade, and argue for a renewed commitment to behavioral intervention research and the implementation and evaluation of large-scale female condom programs.
Effects of Induced Epidemics of Heterodera glycines, Diaporthe phaseolorum var. caulivora, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea in Single Inoculations or in Combinations on Soybean Yield and Other Agronomic Characters

The effects of induced epidemics of Heterodera glycines (Hg), Diaporthe phaseolorum var. caulivora (Dpc), and Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea (Psg) in single inoculations or in combinations on soybean yield and other agronomic characters were studied in the field for 3 planting dates from 1985–1987. Agronomic characters, such as size of nodules, number of pods, plant heights, yields, and disease ratings and infestations of soybean were noticeably influenced by the induced epidemics of the pathogens affecting soybeans. Similarly, the induced epidemics of these pathogens also produced either a negative or positive correlation coefficient of the various indicated agronomic characters. Synergistic-yield loss interaction between Dpc + Psg was positive. However, the synergistic-yield loss interactions between Dpc + Hg, Hg + Psg, and Dpc + Hg + Psg were negative. Based on the symptomatology of the diseases, there were no synergisms noted on soybean.
Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 for Beginners: Six Key Questions

Parkinson’s disease (PD) was long believed to result from environmental insults, with little or no role for genetic factors. This notion began to change in 1997 with the discovery of PD-causing mutations in the SNCA gene that encodes α-synuclein, and the demonstration that α-synuclein is a major component of Lewy bodies, the proteinaceous aggregates that accumulate in the disease. Subsequently, several other “PD genes” that cause familial forms of PD were discovered; these genes implicate protein quality control and mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of PD. Mutations in LRRK2 are a major genetic risk factor for familial and sporadic PD, but it remains unclear how mutations in LRRK2 cause PD-related neurodegeneration. Based on the striking similarity of LRRK2 and sporadic PD (see below), it is hoped that a greater understanding of LRRK2 biology will further define pathogenic pathways in sporadic PD and highlight novel therapeutic targets. To summarize current understanding of LRRK2 biology, this article will address six key questions (i.e., a LRRK2 FAQ), ranging from how LRRK2 was initially discovered to what is known about its physiological and pathological functions. We will also attempt to highlight major unanswered questions to be addressed in future studies.
Sex hormones and finger length: What does 2D:4D indicate?

Abstract Much recent research has focused on the ratio of the lengths of the second to fourth manual digits (2D:4D) as a predictor of the degree of expression of sexually dimorphic and other sex-hormone-mediated traits. However, published findings are often contradictory or subject to various methodological problems. In the present study, we reassessed the relationships among three measures of 2D:4D (left hand, right hand, and mean) and several variables previously claimed to be related to 2D:4D, including sexual orientation, spatial ability, status, physical prowess, and components of reproductive success. In addition, we examined the relationship between 2D:4D measures and several other traits whose expression is thought to be related to sex hormones, including voice pitch, sociosexuality, mating success, and fluctuating asymmetry. 2D:4D measures showed highly significant sex differences, as did spatial ability, sociosexuality, components of reproductive and mating success, and fluctuating asymmetry. However, out of 57 correlations, 2D:4D correlated significantly in the predicted direction only with sexual orientation (for both sexes) and only for left hand 2D:4D. We discuss the recent 2D:4D literature in light of these findings and consider their implications for understanding the timing of developmental events.
Learning to locate trading partners in agent networks

This paper is motivated by some recent, intriguing research results involving agent-organized networks (AONs). In AONs agents have a limited number of collaboration partners at any time, represented by edges in a network of agent nodes, and can rewire edges, i.e., change partners, to improve performance. The common underlying research issue in these domains is the search for desirable interaction or collaboration partners in a relatively large population. Agents have to learn to estimate the utility of current trading partners and adapt connections to improve profitability. A previous study found that random selection of partners in each time period produced better performance but incurred larger search costs compared to gradual rewiring of edges in the network in a production and exchange economy. We propose an exponentially decaying exploration scheme that produces similar utilities to random rewiring but with much less rewiring costs. We evaluate the effects of the number of trading partners on the utilities obtained by the agents. We hypothesize on the cause for the observed performance differences and verify that by showing that the observed performance differences with more realistic model of the economy that incorporate minimum trade volumes and storage capacities.
Lobule structure and somatotopic organization of the medullary facial lobe in the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus.

Correlation of the somatotopic organization of the facial lobe (FL), a primary medullary gustatory nucleus in the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, with its lobular substructure was investigated to examine a possible structural basis for the excellent ability of ictalurid catfishes to localize a food source in the environment. The FL in the channel catfish is composed of six longitudinal columns (ie., lobules) extending rostrocaudally and differing from each other in their length and location within the lobe. Each lobule receives segregated input from discrete portions of the external body surface. The three more medial lobules in the FL receive input (from medial to lateral) from the medial mandibular barbel, the lateral mandibular barbel, and the maxillary barbel, respectively. The proximal-distal axis of each of the barbels is represented in a posteroanterior lobule axis. The largest lobule, the face-flank lobule, is located dorsolaterally in the FL, whereas the anteroposterior body axis is represented in the posteroanterior lobule axis. This indicates that the neural representation of the external body surface of the channel catfish faces caudally in the FL. The two shortest lobules, positioned ventral to the face-flank lobule, receive input from the nasal barbel and the pectoral fin, respectively. The rostrocaudal dimensions of each of the barbel lobules correlate well with the relative lengths of the barbels. Taste-sensitive portions within the three barbel lobules examined were generally confined to the dorsal regions, whereas tactile responses were observed throughout the lobules. The present findings indicate that the FL of the channel catfish is highly organized to localize tactile and taste stimulation of the external body surface and further suggest that the barbel lobules of the FL are differentiated into two portions: a dorsal taste and tactile region, and a ventral, primarily tactile, zone.
Alcohol assessment among college students using wireless mobile technology.

Objective: This study used a two-group randomized design to assess the validity of measuring self-reported alcohol consumption among college students using the Handheld Assisted Network Diary (HAND), a daily diary assessment administered using wireless mobile devices. Method: A convenience sample of college students was recruited at a large, public university in the southeastern United States and randomized into two groups. A randomly assigned group of 86 students completed the daily HAND assessment during the 30-day study and a Timeline Followback (TLFB) at 30-day follow-up. A randomly assigned group of 82 students completed the paper-and-pencil Daily Social Diary (DSD) over the same study period. Data from the daily HAND assessment were compared with the TLFB completed at follow-up by participants who completed the HAND using 95% limits of agreement analysis. Furthermore, individual growth models were used to examine differences between the HAND and DSD by comparing the total drinks, drinking days, and ...
The first fossil of the Congo peafowl (Galliformes: Afropavo)

A fossil from the Middle Stone Age internal deposits of Plovers Lake Cave in the Sterkfontein Valley, Gauteng province, South Africa, is the first fossil specimen that can be allocated to the Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis), a species that is currently endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. The fossil greatly extends the known geographic range of this rainforest taxon and suggests the presence of forested or even rainforest habitats near Plovers Lake Cave during the Middle Stone Age when the fossil was deposited. The presence of this central African taxon in South Africa implies that either its geographic range expanded during a period of climate change during the late Pleistocene or that its currently restricted distribution is a relict of a more extensive past distribution across a larger part of Africa.
DEVIATION MEASURES IN RISK ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION

General deviation measures, which include standard deviation as a special case but need not be symmetric with respect to ups and downs, are defined and shown to correspond to risk measures in the sense of Artzner, Delbaen, Eber and Heath when those are applied to the dierence between a random variable and its expectation, instead of to the random variable itself. A property called expectation-boundedness of the risk measure is uncovered as essential for this correspondence. It is shown to be satisfied by conditional value-at-risk and by worst-case risk, as well as various mixtures, although not by ordinary value-at-risk. Interpretations are developed in which inequalities that are “acceptably sure”, relative to a designated acceptance set, replace inequalities that are “almost sure” in the usual sense being violated only with probability zero. Acceptably sure inequalities fix the standard for a particular choice of a deviation measure. This is explored in examples that rely on duality with an associated risk envelope, comprised of alternative probability densities. The role of deviation measures and risk measures in optimization is analyzed, and the possible influence of “acceptably free lunches” is thereby brought out. Optimality conditions based on concepts of convex analysis, but relying on the special features of risk envelopes, are derived in support of a variety of potential applications, such as portfolio optimization and variants of linear regression in statistics.
VECTOR FIELD DESIGN OF SCREW-TYPE CHAOS

The design of a screw-type chaotic system in is presented whereby the dynamical equations are constructed using geometric methods that produce a vector field with the desired properties. We utilize piecewise linear and constant dynamics for simplicity; the piecemeal dynamics are combined using switching functions. An analysis of the system shows invariance and the absence of equilibria — implying the existence of limit cycles and strange attractors; a bifurcation diagram confirms the existence of these behavioral modes and that the system undergoes a period-doubling cascade to chaos. We finally present a hardware realization of this system, and oscilloscope traces showing a chaotic system trajectory.
Pars plana Ahmed implantation combined with 23-gauge vitrectomy for refractory neovascular glaucoma in diabetic retinopathy.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) can cause severe visual loss due to the development of neovascular glaucoma (NVG) [1]. NVG in PDR often appears as a refractory condition that is not well controlled by any medical treatment. Glaucoma drainage implants have been used in the treatment of refractory glaucoma in PDR patients. Typically, the tube is placed in the anterior chamber and acts to shunt aqueous fluid to an equatorial implant [2,3]. NVG patients with PDR often subsequently experience vitreous hemorrhage or vitreous opacity, which interferes with conventional panretinal photocoagulation and may require vitrectomy. Moreover, the anterior chamber may not be the proper site for tube implantation in cases such as advanced glaucoma with secondary angle closure or angle neovascularization, corneal diseases, and other anterior chamber abnormalities. In such cases, the implant can be placed through pars plana combined with vitrectomy [4-7]. Several studies have showed pars plana vitrectomy with implantation of a drainage tube into the vitreous cavity achieved a success rate comparable to the success rate of an anterior chamber implant in refractory NVG [8-12]. Recently, 23 or 25-gauge sutureless vitrectomy has become more popular than 20-gauge vitrectomy. The small gauge vitrectomy has potential advantages over traditional 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy, which includes improved healing time, increased postoperative comfort and diminished disturbance of the conjunctiva particularly with regard to trabeculectomy sites [13]. The purpose of this retrospective case series was to report on the outcome of pars plana Ahmed valve implantation combined with 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy in patients with uncontrolled NVG in PDR.
Is there a true increase in myocardial stiffness with acute ischemia

Based on experimental observations, an increase in intrinsic regional myocardial stiffness can be demonstrated during complete coronary occlusion at rest when there is dyskinesia. There is decreased chamber compliance as well during coronary occlusion, while the zero volume intercept of the ventricle in diastole is larger, changes that may relate in part to regional ultrastructural alterations at the sarcomere level. Postpacing studies suggest that decreased chamber compliance also occurs in that setting, but with an opposite shift upward of the diastolic pressure-volume relation, which may relate to reperfusion effects. The factors involved in such changes in stiffness undoubtedly are multiple, and also include delayed ventricular relaxation, which can be magnified at rapid heart rates, effects of nonuniformity, and possibly the timing of loading conditions during individual contractions. The relative influence of these multiple factors undoubtedly varies with the conditions and duration of acute ischemia.
Differential control of renal vs. adrenal sympathetic nerve activity by NTS A2a and P2x purinoceptors

Activation of adenosine A2a and ATP P2x purinoceptors in the subpostremal nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) via microinjection of the selective agonists CGS-21680 and α,β-methylene ATP (α,β-MeATP), r...
The benefits of coffee on skeletal muscle

Coffee is consumed worldwide with greater than a billion cups of coffee ingested every day. Epidemiological studies have revealed an association of coffee consumption with reduced incidence of a variety of chronic diseases as well as all-cause mortality. Current research has primarily focused on the effects of coffee or its components on various organ systems such as the cardiovascular system, with relatively little attention on skeletal muscle. Summary of current literature suggests that coffee has beneficial effects on skeletal muscle. Coffee has been shown to induce autophagy, improve insulin sensitivity, stimulate glucose uptake, slow the progression of sarcopenia, and promote the regeneration of injured muscle. Much more research is needed to reveal the full scope of benefits that coffee consumption may exert on skeletal muscle structure and function.
Enhanced Effectiveness of Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Nucleopolyhedrosis Virus Formulated with Boric Acid

Seventeen chemicals, mostly organic and inorganic acids, were tested in combination with gypsy moth nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) for enhanced pathogenicity in Lymantria dispar (L.) larvae. Two acids (sorbic and boric) appeared to enhance viral activity, as expressed by increased mortality in treated larvae. The effects of boric acid were investigated more thoroughly, and in each test boric acid significantly enhanced viral activity (LC50 of NPV-H2) standard = 5.0 × 103 polyhedral inclusion bodies [PIB]/ml LC50 of NPV-BA = 0.8 × 103 PIB/ml). The addition of boric acid to NPV enhanced activity when tested on both semisynthetic diet and red oak seedling. Concentrations of 0.1 and 0.25% BA had no effect upon NPV-induced mortality, whereas 0.5% BA enhanced NPV activity 2-fold and 1.0% BA enhanced activity ca. 11-fold. Moreover, the time from inoculation to initial mortality as well as the LT50 were reduced by the addition of boric acid. The potassium and ammonium salts had no effects upon viral activity, but the sodium salt was as effective as the acid.
Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation on Pd(111): Aromatic Binding Effects on Alcohol Reactivity

To investigate how surface oxygen participates in the reaction of important aromatic oxygenates, the surface chemistry of benzyl alcohol (PhCH2OH) and benzaldehyde (PhCHO) has been studied on oxygen-precovered Pd(111) (O/Pd(111)) using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). On both Pd(111) and O/Pd(111), TPD using isotopically labeled benzyl alcohol and low-temperature HREEL spectra show that the oxidation of benzyl alcohol proceeds through a benzyl alkoxide (PhCH2O−) intermediate to adsorbed benzaldehyde so that the sequence of bond scission is O–H followed by Cα–H. In the presence of surface O, some benzaldehyde desorbs from the surface below 300 K, consistent with the presence of a weakly adsorbed η1 aldehyde state that is bound to the surface through its oxygen lone pair. Benzaldehyde also reacts with surface oxygen to produce benzoate (PhCOO−). Shifts in the OCO stretching frequency suggest that the benzoate orientation changes as the s...
Identification of a Third Mn(II) Oxidase Enzyme in Pseudomonas putida GB-1

ABSTRACT The oxidation of soluble Mn(II) to insoluble Mn(IV) is a widespread bacterial activity found in a diverse array of microbes. In the Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium Pseudomonas putida GB-1, two Mn(II) oxidase genes, named mnxG and mcoA, were previously identified; each encodes a multicopper oxidase (MCO)-type enzyme. Expression of these two genes is positively regulated by the response regulator MnxR. Preliminary investigation into putative additional regulatory pathways suggested that the flagellar regulators FleN and FleQ also regulate Mn(II) oxidase activity; however, it also revealed the presence of a third, previously uncharacterized Mn(II) oxidase activity in P. putida GB-1. A strain from which both of the Mn(II) oxidase genes and fleQ were deleted exhibited low levels of Mn(II) oxidase activity. The enzyme responsible was genetically and biochemically identified as an animal heme peroxidase (AHP) with domain and sequence similarity to the previously identified Mn(II) oxidase MopA. In the ΔfleQ strain, P. putida GB-1 MopA is overexpressed and secreted from the cell, where it actively oxidizes Mn. Thus, deletion of fleQ unmasked a third Mn(II) oxidase activity in this strain. These results provide an example of an Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium utilizing both MCO and AHP enzymes. IMPORTANCE The identity of the Mn(II) oxidase enzyme in Pseudomonas putida GB-1 has been a long-standing question in the field of bacterial Mn(II) oxidation. In the current work, we demonstrate that P. putida GB-1 employs both the multicopper oxidase- and animal heme peroxidase-mediated pathways for the oxidation of Mn(II), rendering this model organism relevant to the study of both types of Mn(II) oxidase enzymes. The presence of three oxidase enzymes in P. putida GB-1 deepens the mystery of why microorganisms oxidize Mn(II) while providing the field with the tools necessary to address this question. The initial identification of MopA as a Mn(II) oxidase in this strain required the deletion of FleQ, a regulator involved in both flagellum synthesis and biofilm synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therefore, these results are also an important step toward understanding the regulation of Mn(II) oxidation.
Vibrotactile stimulation: case study with a profoundly deaf child.

This case study reports results obtained from a young, profoundly deaf child, MI who was fitted with a single-channel vibrotactile device, the Tactaid I, at 29 months of age. Her progress in speech and language development was evaluated over a 14- month period. During this period, M learned to understand 101 words through lipreading and the Tactaid I, and to produce consistent approximations of 90 words. Her scores on language tests with hearing-impaired norms progressed from below average to above average for her age. M's scores on language tests with hearing norms also reflected significant progress, although she did not achieve normal language development. These results indicate that a single-channel vibrotactile aid may facilitate the acquisition of spoken language in a profoundly deaf child who is unable to benefit from a conventional hearing aid.
Analysis the ADR caused by antibiotics of Sichuan province from 2002 to 2004

Objective To analyse the ADR caused by antibiotics of Sichuan province from 2002 to 2004 systemati- cally.To provide beneficial reference that was for preventing and curing the ADR and evaluate the safety of medicine in the process of clinical medicine treatment.Method Use the method of restrospective research to anal- yse the ADR caused by antibiotics of Sichuan province from 2002 to 2004.Results The rate of the female pa- tients ADR was slightly higher than that of the male patients,and most of the patients were 31-50 years old.The drugs caused most ADR were quinolines(34.78%).The way of giving drugs used mostly was injection(76.64%).The ADR were mostly evaluated as“possibility”(50.66%).343 patients with ADR stransformation were cured,415 pa- tients got better,both the having sequela cases and dead cases were 2.Skin and its appendix lesions accounted for 39.44% of all the reported ADR.Conclusion The occurrence of ADR caused by antibiotics due to many fac- tors.ADR must be further monitored clinically,and we must seek more possible factors.
Splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides as therapeutic drugs

Splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) are short, synthetic, antisense, modified nucleic acids that base-pair with a pre-mRNA and disrupt the normal splicing repertoire of the transcript by blocking the RNA-RNA base-pairing or protein-RNA binding interactions that occur between components of the splicing machinery and the pre-mRNA. Splicing of pre-mRNA is required for the proper expression of the vast majority of protein-coding genes, and thus, targeting the process offers a means to manipulate protein production from a gene. Splicing modulation is particularly valuable in cases of disease caused by mutations that lead to disruption of normal splicing or when interfering with the normal splicing process of a gene transcript may be therapeutic. SSOs offer an effective and specific way to target and alter splicing in a therapeutic manner. Here, we discuss the different approaches used to target and alter pre-mRNA splicing with SSOs. We detail the modifications to the nucleic acids that make them promising therapeutics and discuss the challenges to creating effective SSO drugs. We highlight the development of SSOs designed to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy, which are currently being tested in clinical trials.
SRAC: Self-Reflective Risk-Aware Artificial Cognitive models for robot response to human activities

In human-robot teaming, interpretation of human actions, recognition of new situations, and appropriate decision making are crucial abilities for cooperative robots (“co-robots”) to interact intelligently with humans. Given an observation, it is important that human activities are interpreted the same way by co-robots as human peers so that robot actions can be appropriate to the activity at hand. A novel interpretability indicator is introduced to address this issue. When a robot encounters a new scenario, the pretrained activity recognition model, no matter how accurate in a known situation, may not produce the correct information necessary to act appropriately and safely in new situations. To effectively and safely interact with people, we introduce a new generalizability indicator that allows a co-robot to self-reflect and reason about when an observation falls outside the co-robot's learned model. Based on topic modeling and the two novel indicators, we propose a new Self-reflective Risk-aware Artificial Cognitive (SRAC) model, which allows a robot to make better decisions by incorporating robot action risks and identifying new situations. Experiments both using real-world datasets and on physical robots suggest that our SRAC model significantly outperforms the traditional methodology and enables better decision making in response to human behaviors.
Reading, Mathematics and Fine Motor Skills at 5 Years of Age in US Children who were Extremely Premature at Birth

Objectives The prevalence of extreme prematurity at birth has increased, but little research has examined its impact on developmental outcomes in large representative samples within the United States. This study examined the association of extreme prematurity with kindergarteners’ reading skills, mathematics skills and fine motor skills. Methods The early childhood longitudinal study-birth cohort, a representative sample of the US children born in 2001 was analyzed for this study. Early reading and mathematics skills and fine motor skills were compared among 200 extremely premature children (EPC) (gestational age <28 wks or birthweight <1000 g), 500 premature children (PC), and 4300 term children (TC) (≥37wks or ≥2500 g). Generalized linear regression analyses included sampling weights, children’s age, race, sex, and general health status, and parental marital status and education among singleton children. Results At age 5 years, EPC were 2.6(95 % CI 1.7–3.8) times more likely to fail build a gate and were 3.1(95 % CI 1.6–5.8) times more likely to fail all four drawing tasks compared to TC (p values <0.001). Fine motor performance of PC (failed to build a gate, 1.3[95 % CI 1.0–1.7]; failed to draw all four shapes, 1.1[95 % CI 0.8–1.6]) was not significantly different from TC. Mean early reading scale score (36.8[SE:1.3]) of EPC was 4.0 points lower than TC (p value < 0.0001) while mean reading score (39.9[SE:1.4]) of PC was not significantly different from TC (40.8[SE:1.1]). Mean mathematics scale score were significantly lower for both EPC (35.5[SE:1.0], p value < 0.001) and PC (39.8[SE:0.8], p value = 0.023) compared to TC (41.0[SE:0.6]). Conclusions for Practice Extreme prematurity at birth was associated with cognitive and fine motor delays at age 5 years. This suggests that based on a nationally representative sample of infants, the biological risk of extreme prematurity persists after adjusting for other factors related to development.
Aging in the Single-Celled Eukaryote, S. cerevisiae

In the last few decades, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has emerged as a simple and powerful model organism to study aging. Replicative aging and chronological aging are the two major models that have been established in yeast. In this chapter, we review the two aging model systems, focusing on genes and pathways that modulate replicative and chronological aging. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overall understanding of the aging process in the single-celled yeast and a basis by which to generate models of molecular mechanisms that may affect aging stem cell populations in adult tissues, as well as the multicellular eukaryotes they inhabit.
Exploring Students’ Experimentation Strategies in Engineering Design Using an Educational CAD Tool

Experimentation is one of the important strategies used in engineering design to understand the relationship between relevant variables so that they can be manipulated to generate optimized solution for a particular problem or design. The understanding of students’ experimentation strategies allows educators to help students improve their design experiments by providing scaffolds or guidance. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ experimentation strategies while they work on a design challenge. We performed a concurrent think-aloud to capture students’ verbal description of their actions while they designed using a CAD tool. Using mainly the think-aloud transcripts, we identified and characterized patterns of students’ experimentation strategies. In this study, we were able to identify four main activities whose combinations resulted in five different experimentation strategies performed by students, along with their explanation of their actions. Implications of this study relate to scientific argumentation, learning support, design of practical learning activities, and teacher encouragement.
Electron-deuteron deep-inelastic scattering with spectator nucleon tagging and final-state interactions at intermediate x

We consider electron-deuteron deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) with detection of a proton in the nuclear fragmentation region (``spectator tagging'') as a method for extracting the free neutron structure functions and studying their nuclear modifications. Such measurements could be performed at a future electron-ion collider (EIC) with suitable forward detectors. The measured proton recoil momentum ($\ensuremath{\lesssim}100$ MeV in the deuteron rest frame) specifies the deuteron configuration during the high-energy process and permits a controlled theoretical treatment of nuclear effects. Nuclear and nucleonic structure are separated using methods of light-front quantum mechanics. The impulse approximation to the tagged DIS cross section contains the free neutron pole, which can be reached by on-shell extrapolation in the recoil momentum. Final-state interactions (FSIs) distort the recoil momentum distribution away from the pole. In the intermediate-$x$ region $0.1lxl0.5$ FSIs arise predominantly from interactions of the spectator proton with slow hadrons produced in the DIS process on the neutron (rest frame momenta $\ensuremath{\lesssim}1\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GeV}$, target fragmentation region). We construct a schematic model describing this effect, using final-state hadron distributions measured in nucleon DIS experiments and low-energy hadron scattering amplitudes. We investigate the magnitude of FSIs, their dependence on the recoil momentum (angular dependence, forward/backward regions), their analytic properties, and their effect on the on-shell extrapolation. We comment on the prospects for neutron structure extraction in tagged DIS with an EIC. We discuss possible extensions of the FSI model to other kinematic regions (large/small $x$). In tagged DIS at $x\ensuremath{\ll}0.1$ FSIs resulting from diffractive scattering on the nucleons become important and require separate treatment.