cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and Application of a High Throughput Protein Unfolding Kinetic Assay

Protein folding and unfolding kinetics contribute to stability and provide important insights into protein structure and function. Traditionally, protein folding kinetics have been studied using stopped flow kinetics, a technique that is time intensive and specialized. Here, we present a simple high throughput protein folding kinetic assay in a plate reader that should be amenable to the majority of 2-state folding proteins. We validate the assay by measuring kinetic unfolding data for the SH3 (Src Homology 3) domain from Actin Binding Protein 1 (AbpSH3) and its stabilized mutants. The results of our approach are in excellent agreement with published values. We further combine our assay with a plate reader equilibrium assay, to obtain indirect folding rates that also agree and use these approaches to characterize a AbpSH3-peptide hybrid. Our high throughput protein folding kinetic assays will save substantial amounts of time, allow more accurate screening of libraries of mutants by providing both kinetic and equilibrium measurements and will provide a means for future in-depth phi-value analyses.
Genomics of fibromyalgia

This chapter describes investigations that explored the genomic correlates of fibromyalgia. Significance and prevalence rates are reviewed and definitions are discussed within the context of the need to develop case definitions and phenotypes to advance the science and management of fibromyalgia. Underlying mechanisms and several clinical practice guidelines are presented. A summary of recommendations regarding assessment and management of fibromyalgia, drawn from the guidelines, is listed with particular emphasis on the co-management of co-occurring symptoms and conditions such as deconditioning and muscle weakness, lack of energy, pain, emotional distress, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance/insomnia, and nutrition-related issues. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion about the significance of these genomic correlates of fibromyalgia recommending potential research topics to pursue in order to fill the existing gaps in knowledge.
Transition of Care of the Spina Bifida Patient from Childhood to Adulthood

Spina bifida is a complex disease process, the care of which involves multiple physicians and other healthcare providers in several disciplines. As our treatment of this disorder has improved over time, thus has survival of these patients into adulthood. Consideration in the care of young adults and adults with spina bifida poses significant challenges that parallel many other disease processes of childhood where medical advances have improved survival. We attempt to discuss the complex disorder that is spina bifida and some of the challenges associated with transition of care of these patients into adulthood.
Impact of Surgeon-Performed Ultrasound on Treatment of Thyroid Cancer Patients.

BackgroundThe 2015 American Thyroid Association Management Guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules recommended a comprehensive sonographic evaluation of thyroid nodules’ characteristics and th...
Introduction. Historical and Comparative Macrosociology of Middle Eastern Legal Systems

The understanding of law in the Middle East requires not simply different disciplinary perspectives but bringing disciplines into dialogue with each other. It also requires analysis that crosses historical periods in order to understand legal systems as ones that develop over time based on longstanding traditions and earlier transformations, not simply European intrusion. We present a series of analyses by scholar who, while anchored in their own discipline, historical focus, and geographical specialization consciously work to address a broad social scientific audience. La comprension del derecho en Oriente Medio no solo requiere perspectivas disciplinarias diferentes, sino tambien poner esas disciplinas en dialogo mutuo. Tambien requiere un analisis que atraviese periodos de la Historia para entender sistemas juridicos como aquellos que se desarrollan en el tiempo basados en largas tradiciones y transformaciones anteriores, no solo en la intrusion europea. Presentamos una serie de analisis de expertos que, aun enraizados cada uno en su disciplina, enfoque historico y especializacion geografica, trabajan conscientemente para dirigirse a una audiencia cientifica socialmente amplia. Available from: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl/0000-0000-0000-1126
Moneylenders: Deeply Rooted Evil or Providers of Quick Cash?

This chapter examines moneylending reform in 1900–1927. Bringing down the cost of loans was a top priority followed closely by concerns over advertisements, APR disclosure and whether moneylenders should use the term ‘bank’ in their company names. These issues raised deeper questions of whether parliament should regulate the price of money, how borrowers use information in making their decisions and how to define moneylending as opposed to banking. Fears of legitimizing moneylending and the unintended impact regulation might have on ‘proper’ banking were balanced against a strong desire to rein in loan volumes. While Parliament created a host of modern regulatory tools, its failure to define moneylending and its reliance on the judiciary to rewrite individual loan contracts failed to protect borrowers from high-cost loans.
The Illusory Promise of Free Enterprise: A Primer for Promoting Racially Diverse Entrepreneurship

The U.S. Census reports that Minority business ownership exceeds the corresponding racial makeup of U.S. demographics. Based on these figures, the principle of free enterprise seems to be acting on equal grounds. Could entrepreneurship be the social panacea for abolishing racial biases and the inequality gap? This Essay argues that this parity of Minority entrepreneurship is misleading. The Kauffman Foundation and Small Business Administration most recently reported that Black-owned firms represent only 7% of all U.S. businesses, Asian owned firms represent only 4.3%, and Hispanic-owned firms represent only 10.6%. These businesses typically do not grow or expand, leaving the number of people employed by them relatively constant. Overall, minority- owned firms experience more business failure, turnover, and job loss than traditional businesses. This disparity in American free enterprise is, in and of itself, a source of systemic racism and social injustice. Seemingly, American Minority entrepreneurs are given a false hope of economic independence. In fact, this Essay illustrates that current legal programs destine many of them for insolvency, bad credit, debt accumulation, or, at best, being rendered small and meaningless in the marketplace without the proper tools and opportunities to increase equity and wealth. The Essay concludes by proposing new legal methods to increase dedicated access to capital, networking, guidance, and education for racially diverse entrepreneurs. Specifically, it proposes relaxing bureaucracy, fixing biases in lending, forming racially inclusive networks, and cultivating the role of lawyers as social agents who can inform Minorities about impediments and opportunities to accumulate wealth and economic growth.
Phase II trial of brentuximab vedotin in relapsed/refractory germ cell tumors

Background CD-30 is highly expressed in some patients with non-seminomatous germ-cell tumors. Brentuximab vedotin is an antibody–drug conjugate directed to CD-30. We report a phase 2 trial of brentuximab vedotin in patients with chemo-refractory GCT. Patients and methods This is a single arm, two cohort phase 2 trial investigating brentuximab vedotin 1.8 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks until disease progression or intolerable toxicities in patients with relapsed GCT who have no curative options. Patients with mGCT who progressed after first line cisplatin-based chemotherapy and after at least 1 salvage regimen (high-dose or standard-dose chemotherapy) were eligible. CD30 expression was assessed and two cohorts defined: CD30 positive and CD30 negative/unknown. Results 18 patients were enrolled. Median age 34.7 (range, 23–56). All patients had non-seminoma. Median AFP 4.9 (range, 1–219,345) and hCG 282 (range, 0.6–172,064). Five patients had late relapse (> 2 years). Median number of previous chemotherapy regimens was 3 (range, 2–7). Ten patients received prior high-dose chemotherapy. Seven patients had positive CD30 staining. There were two grade 3 treatment-related adverse events. No partial or complete responses were observed. 6 patients achieved radiographic stable disease (range, 9–14.9 weeks), 5 had elevated AFP or hCG at trial entry and all 5 had transient > 50% decline in baseline AFP/hCG: 4 had CD30 -ve and 2 had CD30 + ve staining; 10 patients had progression of disease as their best response; 2 were not evaluable for response. Conclusion Brentuximab vedotin does not appear to have clinically meaningful single-agent activity in patients with refractory GCT.
Obesity Management in Cardiometabolic Disease: State of the Art.

To summarize research from the last 5 years on the effects of weight loss treatments, including lifestyle changes, anti-obesity medications, and bariatric procedures on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and CVD outcomes in adults. This narrative review includes and summarizes the contemporary evidence of the effects of these different weight loss approaches individually. A literature search was performed using the key words obesity, weight loss, CVD, cardiometabolic, and risk factors and included key clinical trials from the past 5 years. Obesity management through weight loss is associated with improvements in CVD risk factors, such as improved blood pressure, lipid profiles, and glycemic control, with greater weight loss leading to greater improvements in CVD risk factors. Bariatric surgery is associated with greater weight loss than the other procedures and treatments for obesity, and for this, and possibly for other reasons, it is associated with greater reductions in CVD outcomes and mortality. Obesity is an independent risk factor and modulator of other CVD risk factors, and thus, treatment of obesity should be an integral part of management strategies to reduce CVD risk. Future trials and real-world studies of longer duration are needed to inform providers and patients on how to individualize the approach to modifying risks of cardiometabolic disorders through obesity management.
Spatial and temporal profile of high-frequency oscillations in posttraumatic epileptogenesis

We studied the role of temporal and spatial changes in high-frequency oscillation (HFO, 80-500 Hz) generation in epileptogenesis following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Experiments were conducted on adult male Sprague Dawley rats. For the TBI group, fluid percussion injury (FPI) on the left sensorimotor area was performed to induce posttraumatic epileptogenesis. For the sham control group, only the craniotomy was performed. After TBI, 8 bipolar micro-electrodes were implanted bilaterally in the prefrontal cortex, perilesional area and homotopic contralateral site, striatum, and hippocampus. Long-term video/local field potential (LFP) recordings were performed for up to 21 weeks to identify and characterize seizures and capture HFOs. The electrode tip locations and the volume of post TBI brain lesions were further estimated by ex-vivo MRI scans. HFOs were detected during slow-wave sleep and categorized as ripple (80-200 Hz) and fast ripple (FR, 250-500 Hz) events. HFO rates and the HFO peak frequencies were compared in the 8 recording locations and across 8-weeks following TBI. Data from 48 rats (8 sham controls and 40 TBI rats) were analyzed. Within the TBI group, 22 rats (55%) developed recurrent spontaneous seizures (E+ group), at an average of 62.2 (+17.1) days, while 18 rats (45%) did not (E- group). We observed that the HFOs in the E+ group had a higher mean peak frequency than the E- group and the sham group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the FR rate of the E+ group showed a significant increase compared to the E-group (P < 0.01) and sham control group (P < 0.01), specifically in the perilesional area, homotopic contralateral site, bilateral hippocampus, and to a lesser degree bilateral striatum. When compared across time, the increased FR rate in the E+ group occurred immediately after the insult and remained stable across the duration of the experiment. In addition, lesion size was not statistically different in the E+ and E- group and was not correlated with HFO rates. Our results suggest that TBI results in the formation of a widespread epileptogenic network. FR rates serve as a biomarker of network formation and predict the future development of epilepsy, however FR are not a temporally specific biomarker of TBI sequelae responsible for epileptogenesis. These results suggest that in patients, future risk of post-TBI epilepsy can be predicted early using FR.
Disease Detection and Diagnosis

Diagnosis, the first step in effective treatment, has evolved over the millennia during which healers have sought to rid patients of disease. Paracelsus wisely advocated patience in diagnosis, and Sir Dominic Corrigan championed careful observation—just looking. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, physician author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, spoke to the significance of small clues, while Paul Dudley White reminded us of the importance of a good medical history.
Bridging the gap between service need and service utilization : A school-based mental health program

In an effort to bridge the gap between service need and service utilization, an urban based, university affiliated children's psychiatric outpatient clinic has implemented a program which provides mental health services in inner city schools. When compared with the central clinic populations (N = 304), the school sample (N = 44) was markedly socioeconomically disadvantaged, minority, and as psychiatrically impaired as the central clinic population. School based mental health services have the potential for bridging the gap between need and utilization by reaching disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access to these services. Implications for such services are discussed.
Ontology-Driven Design of an Energy Management System

Abstract This paper summarizes experience with the design of an adaptive, customizable, and service-oriented energy monitoring and control system for smart energy grids and microgrids. Nowadays, energy generation, transmission and distribution networks evolve towards an increasing presence of distributed electricity generation including solar panels, wind, co-generation units and other renewable or fossil-based energy sources. The aim of the designed application is to support decision making in the area of local neighborhood energy networks. The application is considered as an open information platform that will allow near real-time optimization of generation and consumption matching in residential, commercial buildings and neighborhoods. Design of such complex energy management system is difficult task itself. This aspect puts high requirements on used modeling language and design tool. Furthermore, the platform is developed by multiple partners from different language regions and explicit formulation of terminology makes the design easier. Three applicable languages (UML, XML, and OWL) and associated design tools are discussed in text.
Defending the Right to Discriminate: The Libertarian Challenge to the Civil Rights Movement

Alongside arguments based on principles of states’ rights and deference to majoritarian white supremacist traditions, a libertarian critique of antidiscrimination policy was a basic element of the white South’s legal case against civil rights. A claim of a “right to discriminate” had little to no chance of being accepted in a court of law. Nonetheless, this claim — described variously as a question of freedom of choice, property rights, privacy rights, associational rights, even freedom from involuntary servitude — provided a prominent and powerful language for opposing or limiting civil rights reform. Although rarely recognized as a judicially cognizable right, the right to discriminate was a powerful presence in practically all legislative and public debates over antidiscrimination laws during the civil rights era.A focus on the right to discriminate expands our understanding of the legal history of the civil rights movement in several ways: (1) It presents an ideal case study of extrajudicial constitutional development. (2) It shows how the civil rights movement nurtured constitutional rights claims not only among proponents of the black freedom struggle, but also by those opposed to the cause. (3) It challenges accounts of the civil rights movement that over-emphasize the exceptionalism of the Jim Crow South. (4) It demonstrates how the battles of the past remain very much alive today. Because of continued societal ambivalence about the most expansive visions of government-imposed antidiscrimination norms and because it taps into widely shared commitments to privacy and personal freedoms, the right to discriminate continues to this day to play a central role in policy debates.
Response in Nematocyst Uptake by the Nudibranch Flabellina verrucosa to the Presence of Various Predators in the Southern Gulf of Maine

Aeolid nudibranchs maintain nematocysts sequestered from their cnidarian prey for protection against predators. Selection for nematocyst incorporation is a function of diet and prey choice, but ratios vary among nudibranchs feeding on a given diet, indicating that other factors may be involved. It is proposed that the presence of predators influences nematocyst incorporation. Nematocyst uptake in the nudibranch Flabellina verrucosa collected from the southern Gulf of Maine was examined in response to various potential predators, including Crossaster papposus, Tautogolabrus adspersus, and Carcinus maenas. Nudibranchs in individual flow-through containers feeding on a diet of the hydroids Tubularia spp. and Obelia geniculata were subjected to tanks containing a predator, then their nematocyst distribution was examined. Although most of the changes over the experimental period were attributable to diet, F. verrucosa responded to both T. adspersus and C. papposus by significantly increasing microbasic mastigophore incorporation. No differential uptake was seen with C. maenas. Response was evident in the nudibranchs both for predators present in the collection area and for those with which they had no previous exposure, indicating that F. verrucosa modulates nematocyst incorporation in response to the presence of predators as well as to diet. A coevolution of nudibranchs and potential predators may govern changes in nematocyst uptake.
Technology, Mathematics PS/RTI, and Students with LD: What Do We Know, What Have We Tried, and What Can We Do to Improve Outcomes Now and in the Future?

Effective integration of technology within mathematics problem solving/response to instruction (PS/RTI) for students with/at risk for identification of learning disabilities (LD) is the focus of th...
Positive time-scale distributions

We define the class of positive time-scale distributions (TSDs), and give a general method for constructing such functions. We explore various properties and moments of these distributions. Examples, of both synthetic and real signals, are given. >
Metaphony and two models for the description of vowel systems

Recently two interesting models have been proposed for organising vowel systems; Schane's (1984) particle phonology and Goldsmith's (1987) model for vowel systems.' This paper will show that neither of these models is able to deal adequately with metaphony as found in many Italian dialects. Basically, the difficulty that each of these models faces is the lack of the feature [high], which is required for an understanding of metaphony. First, I shall discuss two types of metaphony as manifested in Italian dialects, and the necessity of the feature [high] to explain the tonic vowel alternations. Then an overview of Schane's and Goldsmith's models will be presented, followed by an attempt to apply them to the problem of metaphony.
Illness severity, trait anxiety, cognitive impairment and heart rate variability in bipolar disorder

Numerous studies have documented a significant association between symptom severity and cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder (BD). These findings advanced speculations about a potential link between the physiological stress associated with illness severity and cognitive dysfunction. To explore this hypothesis, the current study employed heart rate variability (HRV) as a physiological measure that is sensitive to the effects of chronic stress, and a scale of trait anxiety for assessing a psychological condition that is correlated with hyper sympathetic arousal. Analyses indicated that BD patients with High Illness Severity reported more symptoms of trait-anxiety (i.e., State Trait Anxiety Inventory), performed more poorly on a computerized neuropsychological battery (i.e., CNS Vital Signs), and exhibited a more constricted HRV profile (i.e., lower SDNN with elevated LF/HF ratio) than patients with Low Illness Severity. Illness severity was determined by a history of psychosis, illness duration, and number of mood episodes. A third group of healthy controls (n=22) performed better on the neuropsychological battery and exhibited a healthier HRV profile than the BD groups. This study provides preliminary evidence that illness severity and cognitive impairment in BD may be associated with state anxiety and neuro-cardiac alterations that are sensitive to physiological stress.
SU‐GG‐T‐246: NIST Water Calorimeter Update: Measured Dose Rate as a Function of Exposure Time

Purpose: To re‐establish the primary standard of absorbed dose to water for therapy level beams using the NIST room temperature watercalorimeter,heat conduction corrections need to be addressed particularly for the radiation exposure times from 60 s to 120 s range. Method and Materials: Measurements have been performed using the calorimeter in a 60 Co beam to determine the dose rate as a function of modulated shutter opening times. In previous studies, we show such a curve spanned across the irradiation time of up to an hour. In this study, we focus on the region of common standards practice of around 100 s, in order to reconnect with Domen's historical value obtained at 70 s, and to compare with other metrology institutes' (e.g. PTB's 120 s). Since our calorimeter operates with the water outside the core vessel being stirred constantly, the lateral temperature gradient can be great at the boundary defined by the vessel wall, and therefore we expect greater conduction effects. A preliminary 3D finite element model is used to study the gradient effect. Results: We have shown previously that the system response to the radiation exposure time strongly depends on the size of the core vessel and can be simulated qualitatively using a simplified 2D finite element model. We now examine closely the calorimeter's response at modulated shutter opening times between 60 s and 140 s range. The variation in this range is found to be about 2.5%. However, preliminary finite element simulation indicates only 0.5% variation is expected. Conclusion: The model study suggests that the temperature gradient alone does not account for the observed dose rate variation. Further investigations are required with a model including non‐water materials. The system stability reached after the repeated cycles of exposure will also be studied both experimentally and by simulation.
Seedling responses to band applied NH4OH rates and to N form in two maize hybrids

Growth of maize seedlings can be improved by enhanced ammonium nutrition, but placing fertilizer anhydrous ammonia close to seedlings introduces the risk of ammonia toxicity. In this study, growth and root elongation response to rates of closely placed NH4OH bands were investigated in two contrasting maize hybrids. Seven rates of NH4OH, ranging from 0 to 200 mg N kg-1 soil were injected into the center of each pot. A single rate of Ca(NO3)2-N was included to compare hybrids for N form preference at a moderate N rate. Three seedlings per pot were planted 5.7 cm from the injection point. Hybrid B73×LH51 produced a quadratic response in shoot growth to NH4OH rates, whereas LH74×LH123 exhibited a significant linear decline in response to NH4OH rate. Root length density sampled from the fertlized zone declined linearly in response to NH4OH rate while a slight increase in root length density in unfertilized zones was observed at intermediate NH4OH rates. Hybrids did not differ in root length density in either zone. The hybrid with greater tolerance of NH4OH rates (B73×LH51) also showed a preference in shoot growth for NH4-over NO3-N at 66.7 mg N kg-1 compared to LH74×LH123. On average across hybrids, nitrate concentrations of xylem exudate collected from detopped plants were 14.5 mmol g-1 for Ca(NO3)2 treatments and 1.5 mmol g-1 for NH4OH treatments, indicating that contrasting N-form nutrition resulted from fertilizer treatments. Malate concentrations were higher in the NH4OH treatment indicating that this organic acid anion may substitute for the negative charge of nitrate during enhanced ammonium nutrition in maize. The results suggest that potentially useful genetic variation exists in maize for N form preference and for tolerance to increasing ammonical-N rates.
Glutathione peroxidase deficiency exacerbates ischemia-reperfusion injury in male but not female myocardium: insights into antioxidant compensatory mechanisms

The female sex has been associated with increased resistance to acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. While enhanced antioxidant capacity has been implicated in female cardioprotection, there is little evidence to support this assumption. Previous studies have shown an important role of cellular glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) in protection of the myocardium from I/R injury. Whether GPx1 is mechanistic in the protection of female myocardium, post-I/R, has not been examined. We utilized a murine model with homozygous deletion of GPx1 and examined its impact on postischemic myocardial recovery in male and female mice. Following I/R, male GPx1(−/−) hearts were more susceptible to contractile and diastolic dysfunction, and this was associated with increased protein carbonyls, a marker of oxidative stress. In contrast, GPx1 deficiency in female hearts did not exacerbate dysfunction or oxidative stress post-I/R. Both wild-type and GPx1(−/−) female hearts exhibited reduced creatine kinase leakage and a more favorable ascorbate redox status compared with males. Following I/R, female GPx1(−/−) hearts showed a comparable decrease in glutathione redox status as their male counterparts; however, they exhibited a greater decrease in nitrate-to-nitrite ratio, suggesting a higher consumption of nitrate in female GPx1(−/−) hearts. Our findings demonstrate that GPx1 is critical for cardioprotection during I/R in male, but not female, mice. The maintenance of cardioprotection in female mice lacking GPx1 post-I/R may be due to an improved ascorbate redox homeostasis and enhanced nitrate-to-nitrite conversion, which would predictably be accompanied by enhanced production of cardioprotective nitric oxide.
The limitations of energy policy models

Abstract The main purpose of this article is to highlight the problems inherent in some basic mathematical assumptions used in the formulation of models, and to show how these assumptions influence the results derived from the models. The author analyses and criticizes three energy policy models; the World Oil Model; the MIT Energy Self- Sufficiency Study; and Project Independence. The author also aims to show that failure to consider non-quantifiable factors when assessing the models' results can lead to misleading conclusions.
Synthesis of UV-curable tung oil and UV-curable tung oil based alkyd

Two UV-curable tung oil-based resins were synthesized via a Diels–Alder cycloaddition. An UV-curable tung oil (UVTO) was prepared from bodied tung oil and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA). An inhibitor, phenothiazine, was added to avoid homopolymerization of TMPTMA. The UV-curable tung oil alkyd (UVTA) was prepared from the monoglyceride process and then reacted with TMPTMA via the Diels–Alder reaction similar to the UVTO. The UVTO and UVTA were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. The UVTO and UVTA were formulated with a free radical reactive diluent, tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA) and photoinitiator Irgacure 2100. Photo differential scanning calorimeter (Photo-DSC) was used to investigate curing kinetics of the UVTO and the UVTA. Both the UVTO and UVTA were photocurable with the UVTA formula exhibiting a faster curing speed than the UVTO.
A área cinzenta: Ibsen e o espírito do capitalismo

The author shows how flexible morality and capitalist imperatives of the bourgeois fin-de-siecle are captured in the misdeeds of Ibsen’s protagonists.
A time-series analysis of the U.S. kidney transplantation and the waiting list: donor substitution effects

This article provides an econometric analysis of the relationship between live and deceased (cadaveric) kidney donations in the United States for the period 1992:IV–2006:II. Utilizing a cointegration representation and impulse-response analysis, we find strong evidence for deceased donor kidneys “crowding out” living donations, potentially undermining conventional efforts to reduce the shortage.
Do synchronous airway lesions predict treatment failure after adenotonsillectomy in children less than 3 years of age with obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract Objectives Determine the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy and the role of synchronous airway lesions in treatment failure in children younger than 3 years of age with obstructive sleep apnea. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted for children younger than 3 years of age with obstructive sleep apnea who were evaluated and treated at a tertiary care hospital between 2005 and 2011. All participants underwent adenotonsillectomy or powered-intracapsular tonsillectomy with adenoidectomy and had both pre- and post-operative polysomnograms. Children eligible for airway evaluation underwent flexible laryngoscopy, direct laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy. For analysis, participants were categorized as cured or not-cured with an obstructive apnea–hypopnea index (OAHI) threshold of ≥1.4 indicating residual obstructive sleep apnea. Results Thirty-nine children met inclusion criteria and 41% had a post-operative OAHI ≤ 1.4 by polysomnogram. Children failing adenotonsillectomy, (OAHI ≥ 1.4) had a significantly higher pre-operative OAHI ( p 2 ( p p = 1 and p = 0.14, respectively). Conclusions Adenotonsillectomy is effective for obstructive sleep apnea in children younger than 3 years of age and the presence of a synchronous airway lesion does not necessarily predict treatment failure.
UNDO: a Bioconductor R package for unsupervised deconvolution of mixed gene expressions in tumor samples

Summary: We develop a novel unsupervised deconvolution method, within a well-grounded mathematical framework, to dissect mixed gene expressions in heterogeneous tumor samples. We implement an R package, UNsupervised DecOnvolution (UNDO), that can be used to automatically detect cell-specific marker genes (MGs) located on the scatter radii of mixed gene expressions, estimate cellular proportions in each sample and deconvolute mixed expressions into cell-specific expression profiles. We demonstrate the performance of UNDO over a wide range of tumor–stroma mixing proportions, validate UNDO on various biologically mixed benchmark gene expression datasets and further estimate tumor purity in TCGA/CPTAC datasets. The highly accurate deconvolution results obtained suggest not only the existence of cell-specific MGs but also UNDO’s ability to detect them blindly and correctly. Although the principal application here involves microarray gene expressions, our methodology can be readily applied to other types of quantitative molecular profiling data. Availability and implementation: UNDO is available at http://bioconductor.org/packages. Contact: ude.tv@gnaweuy Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Schools' Response to Youth Unemployyment

The key to understanding of relief-giving is in the functions it serves for the larger economic and political order, for relief is a secondary and supportive institution. Historical evidence suggests that relief arrangements are initiated or expanded during the occasional out-breaks of civil disorder produced by mass unemployment, and are then abolished or contracted when political stability is restored. We shall argue that expansive relief policies are cyclical - liberal or restrictive depending on the problems of regulation in the larger society with which government must contend [Piven and Cloward, 1971].It is about a search too, for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recogniton as well as cash, for astonishment rather than a torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying. Perhaps immortality, too, is part of the quest. To be remembered was the wish, spoken and unspoken, of the heroes and heroines of this book [Terkel, 1972: xiii].
Small intestinal transit time and iron absorption

Abstract Adult male Wistar rats were allocated to 4 groups of 15 animals (mean weight 511g). Each rat in group 1 was given 10g semisynthetic control diet containing 38 μg Fe/g, labelled extrinsically with 37kBq 59 Fe, and Fe retention measured daily for 7 days using a small animal whole body gamma counter. The same procedure was carried out in the other 3 groups, but small intestinal (S.I.) transit time was modified by administering pharmacological preparations with the test meal: metoclopramide hydrochloride (0.25 mg) orally or I.M. (to reduce transit time), and loperamide hydrochloride (0.1 mg) orally (to increase transit time). Mean whole body retention 7 days after the test meal was 14% of the administered dose, with no differences between groups, indicating that S.I. transit time does not significantly alter the efficiency of Fe absorption.
Population size of Island loggerhead shrikes on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands

Island loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi) are an endemic, genetically distinct subspecies of loggerhead shrike on California's Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Catalina Islands (USA). This subspecies is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Game and has been petitioned for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. The combination of suspected low numbers and the possibility of federal listing, prompted us to undertake a study to rigorously estimate the number of remaining individuals on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands. During the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons, we surveyed sample units on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands using a double-observer method with independent observers to estimate joint detection probabilities (p), where we selected units under a stratified random sampling design. We estimated shrike abundance to be 169 in 2009 (p = 0.476) and 240 in 2010 (p = 0.825) for Santa Rosa Island, and 35 in 2009 (p = 0.816) and 42 in 2010 (p = 0.710) for Santa Cruz Island. These numbers, especially for Santa Rosa Island, are higher than previously reported but nevertheless are still low. Rapid vegetation change on both islands due to recent removal of nonnative herbivores may threaten the habitat and status of this subspecies and, therefore, we suggest that intensive demographic and habitat use research be initiated immediately to obtain additional information vital for the management of this subspecies. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Mössbauer studies of two-iron centers in biomolecules

We report slow-relaxation Mossbauer spectra for a nitric oxide and a sulfide derivative of hemerythrin and for reduced purple acid phosphatase. Anomalous hyperfine tensors derived from simulations of the latter two systems and the unusual EPR spectrum of the former one are explained in terms of a single spin Hamiltonian model.
Amino Acid Binding to Luteinizing Hormone

These studies demonstrate that there are significant quantities of certain amino acids bound to LH and also to its 2 chains which have been separated by countercurrent distribution. The same amino acids are present in all these preparations and they occur in approximately the same relative quantities. The amino acids were separated from LH by guanidine hydrochloride denaturation followed by Sephadex chromatography, by cellulose acetate electrophoresis, by acidifying to pH 2.2, and by oxidative sulfitolysis followed by chain separation on Sephadex. They were not separated by Sephadex chromatography in the absence of guanidine hydrochloride nor by extensive dialysis. When an LH preparation containing no free amino acids was incubated with a standard amino acid solution, serine, threonine, aspartic acid, glycine and alanine became bound to LH in approximately the same molar quantities as found in several LH preparations. The significance of these findings with respect to the interpretation of N-terminal and ...
Fundamental aspects of the polarization resistance technique—the early days

The work of Oldham and Mansfeld dealing with the concept of the polarization resistance technique that can be used to determine corrosion rates from potential E—current I curves measured in the vicinity of the corrosion potential Ecorr has been summarized. In addressing the interpretation of this technique as the “linear polarization (resistance) technique,” Oldham and Mansfeld pointed out that curvature of polarization curves in the vicinity of Ecorr has to occur in order for the Butler–Volmer equation, as modified for corrosion reactions, to be valid. They proposed a modification of the Stern–Geary linear polarization equation and presented a new graphical method for the calculation of corrosion rates from polarization curves. Some of the earliest computer programs for the determination of corrosion current densities, and Tafel slopes from polarization data collected in the vicinity of Ecorr and examples of their application have been discussed.
Modeling the thermal conductivity of mullite/cordierite composites

Abstract The thermal conductivity (k) has been measured for a series of mullite/cordierite composites in the temperature range 20 to 300 K. The Klemens-Callaway model, which is used to describe the temperature dependence of k for crystalline materials, has been applied to the experimental results. This model incorporates three phonon-scattering terms, that include the effect of impurities, grain boundaries and phonons. The compositional dependence shows the characteristic form indicating the possibility of the formation of solid solutions.
The associations between psychological distress and cancer prevention practices.

Abstract The aim of the current study was to determine the extent to which psychological distress is associated with cancer prevention practices among otherwise healthy adults in the community ( N =30,223). Using data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey, a series of multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the associations between psychological distress and selected cancer prevention practices. Results indicate that psychological distress was directly associated with an increased likelihood of daily cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity. Only smoking status mediated the relation between psychological distress and perceived cancer risk. Individuals who reported higher psychological distress were more likely to engage in specific cancer screenings before reaching the recommended age. This effect was partially mediated by perceived cancer risk. The higher levels of cigarette smoking and physical inactivity among psychologically distressed adults support the need for integration of cancer prevention and mental health interventions to reduce specific cancer risk in high-risk adults. Further research is needed to differentiate the causal pathways and mechanisms linking heightened individual cancer risk, potentially comorbid mental disorders or psychological conditions, and cancer screening adherence.
Coronary heart disease and all-causes mortality in the multiple risk factor intervention trial: Subgroup findings and comparisons with other trials

The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) was a randomized primary prevention trial to test whether a special intervention (SI) program to reduce high blood pressure, elevated blood cholesterol, and/or cigarette smoking could lower coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in middle-aged men at above average risk. After an average follow-up period of 7 years, risk factor levels were reduced substantially more in SI than in usual-care (UC) men; however, SI-UC differences in CHD mortality (7.1%) and total mortality (-2.1%) were not statistically significant. Subgroup analysis showed 35% fewer SI than UC CHD deaths (P = 0.14) but no all-causes mortality difference in men comparable to the cohort having dietary and smoking intervention in Oslo (the "Oslo-like" cohort). Among the subgroup hypertensive at entry, SI-UC differences in CHD and total mortality appeared to be heterogeneous: CHD mortality was 24% lower in SI than UC men with a normal resting ECG at baseline, but 67% higher if baseline ECG abnormalities were present (nominal P = 0.02, for difference in relative risk estimates). These findings were supported by within-group analyses and are generally consistent with results of other CHD/cardiovascular disease prevention trials. They pose a new hypothesis about possible adverse effects of diuretic therapy in a minority of the hypertensive population.
One-Stage Construction of Giant Experimental Aneurysms in Dogs

In an attempt to find safe and effective methods of treating giant intracranial aneurysms, we have developed a one-step construction of giant experimental aneurysms in dogs with a yield of 100% patency of the parent artery and the experimental aneurysm without intraaneurysmal thrombus. Giant aneurysms were produced in the right thrombus. Giant aneurysms were produced in the right common carotid artery of nine mongrel dogs. Key features concerning the procedure were: (1) proximal placement of the aneurysmal neck, (2) 1 cm length as the aneurysmal ostea, and (3) postoperative aspirin therapy. This one-step construction of giant experimental aneurysms in dogs should prove helpful in evaluating a wide variety of treatment modalities of giant aneurysms in the laboratory. It also may be of additional value in investigative studies relative to catheters, balloons, and other similar techniques.
Positive parity pentaquarks pragmatically predicted

Abstract We consider the possibility that the lightest pentaquark is a parity-even state, with one unit of orbital angular momentum. Working within the framework of a constituent quark model, we show that dominant spin-flavor interactions render certain parity-even states lighter than any pentaquark with all quarks in the spatial ground state. For such states, we focus on predicting the mass and decays of other members of the same SU (3) flavor multiplet. Specifically, we consider the strangeness −2 cascade pentaquarks, which are relatively immune to mixing. We take into account flavor SU (3) breaking effects originating from the strange quark mass as well as from the structure of the spin-flavor exchange interactions themselves. We predict the lightest cascade pentaquarks at approximately 1906 MeV, with a full width ∼3 times larger than that of the Θ + .
Various factors affecting the lethality of cyclohexylamine

Abstract Cyclohexylamine (CHA) is a metabolite of the artificial sweetening agent cyclamate and has been shown to possess sympathomimetic actions like those of tyramine and/or amphetamine. Acute toxicity studies using male albino Swiss Webster mice indicated that CHA lethality is both temperature and aggregation dependent. Toxic doses of CHA produced behavior characterized by general hyperactivity, resembling the signs following amphetamine treatment. CHA appeared to increase body temperature. The lethality after CHA could be correlated with an increase in body temperature at doses lower than 480 mg/kg only. Drug interaction studies demonstrated that chlorpromazine, reserpine, phenoxybenzamine and tolazoline were each capable of protecting mice against CHA-induced lethality. In contrast, pretreatment of mice with SKF 525-A potentiated CHA lethality. This potentiation suggests that CHA is further metabolized to less toxic metabolites in mice. Metabolic studies with carbon-labeled acetate indicated that CHA-treated mice expired more 14 CO 2 than control animals, suggesting an enhanced metabolic rate. Death following doses of CHA greater than 480 mg/kg were not apparently related to the hyperthermia, but probably involved other mechanisms related to the sympathomimetic action of CHA.
Properties of high-angle (001) twist grain boundaries in alkali-halide bicrystals A theoretical investigation

Abstract The physical nature of (001) coincident-site lattice (CSL) twist grain boundaries in alkali-halide bicrystals has been investigated. For that purpose the energies and structures of such boundaries and of the free (001) surface are determined by means of a computer code developed in recent years. All the results for the alkali halides are found to be in complete qualitative agreement with earlier calculations for MgO and for the transition-metal oxides MnO, FeO, CoO and NiO in that (1) the grain-boundary energy versus misfit-angle curve shows no “cusps”, and (2) larger twist angles result in larger volume expansions at the boundary. A quantitative comparison with the metal oxides shows two interesting differences, however. First, the alkali-halide bicrystals are substantially more stable; second, their volume increase at the boundary is significantly lower. Both phenomena are investigated in some detail by analysing the effect of the different contributions to the interionic pair potentials on the...
Metagenomics-based analysis of viral communities in dairy lagoon wastewater

Microbial populations, especially those of viruses, are poorly studied in dairy wastewater treatment operations. Here we report signature nucleic acid metagenomic sequences obtained by pyrosequencing viromes of virus-like particles that were extracted from two dairy waste treatment lagoons. The lagoons are operated in series, with Lagoon I being used as the primary stage and Lagoon II as the secondary stage of wastewater treatment. An average of 2000 sequences was obtained from each lagoon. More than 300 signatures from each lagoon matched sequences in the virus database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). We utilized a bioinformatics approach and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to characterize the viral diversity and presence of potential viral pathogens within the lagoons. Our results showed differences in viral community compositions between Lagoon I and Lagoon II, suggesting that the viral community changes significantly in the transition of water between the two lagoons. Furthermore, the diverse viral community in the lagoon samples contained signature sequences of a variety of bacterial, plant, and animal viruses. Bacteriophage sequences dominated the viral community metagenomes in both lagoons. Ultimately these results can be used to identify viral bioindicators to rapidly assess wastewater treatment quality and the potential impacts of dairy operations on watersheds. Our viral metagenomic sequences have been submitted to GenBank (GPID 65805) and can provide insight into the composition and structure of viral communities within wastewaters of dairy lagoon systems.
Test of the time-dependent mean-field theory in Kr-induced strongly damped collisions

Axially symmetric time-dependent mean-field calculations using a Skyrme-type effective interaction have been performed for 84Kr + 208Pb at Elab=494 MeV and 84Kr + 209Bi at Elab=600 MeV. Calculated fragment energies, mean masses, and scattering angles for strongly damped collisions are in good agreement with experiment, but mass distribution widths are an order of magnitude too small.