cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of ANGPTL4 expression in human airway smooth muscle cells by PMA through activation of PKC and MAPK pathways

In this study, we demonstrate that protein kinase C (PKC) activators, including phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG), and platelet-derived growth factor α are potent inducers of angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) expression in several normal lung cell types and carcinoma cell lines. In human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells induction of ANGPTL4 expression is observed as early as 2 h after the addition of PMA. PMA also increases the level of ANGPTL4 protein released in the medium. PKC inhibitors Ro31-8820 and Go6983 greatly inhibit the induction of ANGPTL4 mRNA by PMA suggesting that this up-regulation involves activation of PKC. Knockdown of several PKCs by corresponding siRNAs suggest a role for PKCα. PMA does not activate MAPK p38 and p38 inhibitors have little effect on the induction of ANGPTL4 indicating that p38 is not involved in the regulation of ANGPTL4 by PMA. In contrast, treatment of HASM by PMA induces phosphorylation and activation of Ra, MEK1/2, ERK1/2, JNK, Elk-1, and c-Jun. The Ras inhibitor manumycin A, the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126, and the JNK inhibitor SP600125, greatly reduce the increase in ANGPTL4 expression by PMA. Knockdown of MEK1/2 and JNK1/2 expression by corresponding siRNAs inhibits the induction of ANGPTL4. Our observations suggest that the induction of ANGPTL4 by PMA in HASM involves the activation of PKC, ERK, and JNK pathways. This induction may play a role in tissue remodeling during lung injury and be implicated in several lung pathologies.
Identification of novel Smad binding proteins.

The TGFβs, a family of secreted polypeptide growth factors, are critical regulators of mammalian orofacial development. The importance of the TGFβs in development of the orofacial region in mice is underscored by the resulting orofacial clefts in mice with targeted deletion of either TGFβ2 or TGFβ3 and most recently, a conditional knockout of the type II TGFβ receptor (TβRII) gene. The TGFβs signal via binding to specific cell surface receptors which, in turn, activates translocation of the nucleocytoplasmic Smad transcriptional regulators. Smads 2 and 3 are TGFβ-specific transcriptional regulators that bind DNA through their conserved MH1 domains and activate or inhibit transcription of TGFβ-responsive genes through their MH2 domains. To search for novel Smad binding proteins expressed in developing murine orofacial tissue, a yeast two-hybrid assay was utilized to screen a cDNA expression library constructed from fetal murine orofacial tissue. Several novel Smad binding proteins were identified. These include a putative zinc finger protein (ZNF198), peroxisomal biogenesis factor 6 (Pex6), eucaryotic translation initiation factor 4E nuclear import factor 1 (4-ET), and splicing factor 3b subunit 2 (SF3b2). Results of the yeast two-hybrid screen were verified by GST pull-down assays which confirmed the interaction of these proteins with the MH2 domain of Smad 3, and also indicated interaction of these proteins with additional Smad family members. The identification of these proteins as Smad binding partners allows exploration of new mechanisms whereby TGFβ signaling may be regulated, and reveals additional potential interactions with other signaling pathways.
VideoMule: a consensus learning approach to multi-label classification from noisy user-generated videos

With the growing proliferation of conversational media and devices for generating multimedia content, the Internet has seen an expansion in websites catering to user-generated media. Most of the user-generated content is multimodal in nature as it has videos, audio, text (in the form of tags), comments and so on. Content analysis is a challenging problem on this type of media since it is noisy, unstructured and unreliable. In this paper we propose VideoMule, a consensus learning approach for multi-label video classification from noisy user-generated videos. In our scheme, we train classification and clustering algorithms on individual modes of information such as user comments, tags, video features and so on. We then combine the results of trained classifiers and clustering algorithms using a novel heuristic consensus learning algorithm which as a whole performs better than each individual learning model.
Interpersonal Trust and Attributions of Source Credibility: Evaluations of a Political Figure in a Crisis

The events surrounding the Watergate affair “Saturday Night Massacre” provided a setting in which to assess (a) the applicability of the Jones and Davis acts-to-dispositions model of the attribution process in subjects' perceptions and evaluations of a key political figure in crisis (President Nixon), (b) the role of subjects' interpersonal trust on their attributions and evaluations, and (c) the utility of Giffin's proposed five factors of credibility of a source. The results supported the hypothesis that (a) behaviors, intentions, and dispositional attributions would be different but related factors and (b) out-of-role intentions would be more predictive than in-role intentions of dispositional attributions. Partial support was found for the hypothesis that high trusters would perceive the President and his behaviors more favorably than low trusters (they attributed less negative intentions and attributed more favorable evaluative and expertness-activity dispositions). Although high and low trusters app...
Fuel-cladding chemical interaction in uranium-plutonium oxide fast reactor fuel pins☆

Abstract A model of cladding attack is developed based on the formation of a cesium chromate on the cladding inner surface and the formation of a cesium-fuel compound at the cooler, outer edge of the fuel. These compounds are assumed to be in equilibrium via the gas-phase transport of cesium and/or cesium hydroxide across the fuel-cladding gap. Using thermochemical and kinetic data for the species involved, the model successfully predicts: 1. (a) the observed temperature dependency of cladding attack in EBR-II, DFR, Rapsodie, and Phenix pins; (b) the observed in-pile threshold temperature for cladding attack; 2. (c) the decreased incidence and decreased severity of cladding attack for sphere-pac fuel and for pellet fuel irradiated at low power levels; and 3. (d) the large difference in the temperature dependency of cladding attack between out-of-pile versus in-pile experiments. Furthermore, the model identifies the local temperature difference between the fuel outer surface and the cladding inner surface to be the single most important parameter governing cladding attack.
Variational Formulation of the R Matrix Method for Multichannel Scattering

A variational treatment of the $R$ matrix method for multichannel scattering is given, in which basis functions used for expanding the wave function within a boundary radius ${r}_{0}$ need not satisfy specific boundary conditions at ${r}_{0}$. As an illustration, a simple basis set of monomial functions (${r}^{n},n=1,\dots{},N$) is used in a two-channel-model problem with long-range potentials. Excellent results are obtained with ten such functions in each channel.
In silico cross seeding of Aβ and amylin fibril-like oligomers.

Recent epidemiological data have shown that patients suffering from Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus have an increased risk to develop Alzheimer’s disease and vice versa. A possible explanation is the cross-sequence interaction between Aβ and amylin. Because the resulting amyloid oligomers are difficult to probe in experiments, we investigate stability and conformational changes of Aβ–amylin heteroassemblies through molecular dynamics simulations. We find that Aβ is a good template for the growth of amylin and vice versa. We see water molecules permeate the β-strand–turn−β-strand motif pore of the oligomers, supporting a commonly accepted mechanism for toxicity of β-rich amyloid oligomers. Aiming for a better understanding of the physical mechanisms of cross-seeding and cell toxicity of amylin and Aβ aggregates, our simulations also allow us to identify targets for the rational design of inhibitors against toxic fibril-like oligomers of Aβ and amylin oligomers.
Properties of liver mitochondria from iron-loaded rats

Abstract The increased iron content in livers from iron-loaded rats is almost exclusively confined to the mitochondria. The ten- to twenty-fold higher level of nonheme iron in such mitochondria decreases the respiratory control with pyruvate-malate, but not with 3-hydroxybutyrate or succinate as substrates, and has no effect on the capacity for phosphorylation and substrate oxidation. Iron-loaded mitochondria have a malondialdehyde level which is about three times higher than that of control mitochondria, even after repeated washings with bovine serum albumin and EDTA. This is suggestive of an on-going process of lipid oxidation presumably catalyzed by the accumulated iron. Differences between the present in vivo data and in vitro results obtained by others are discussed.
Use of Molecular Descriptors in Separating Phenols by Three Mechanisms of Toxic Action

Phenols are widely used in agriculture and various industries. Many quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) have been developed for phenols. The most toxicologically meaningful QSARs have been established byseparating compounds by their mechanisms of action (MOAs). However, correctly determining the MOA of a compound is not easy. Discriminant analysis was employed in this study to separate selected phenols by three MOAs (polar narcosis, weak acid respiratory uncoupling, and soft electrophilicity) using molecular descriptors as discriminating variables. Results showed that quadratic terms of several molecular descriptors were needed in addition to their linear terms as discriminating variables. Cross-validation of the linear discriminant functions showed that a small total error rate for mechanism classification was achieved.
Thoracoscopic plication of the diaphragm

Plication of the diaphragm in symptomatic patients with phrenic nerve paralysis provides excellent relief of exertional dyspnea and significantly increases arterial oxygen tension, and all lung volumes except residual volume. We report diaphragmatic plication using the minimally invasive technique of VATS. This procedure provides excellent relief of symptoms with minimal morbidity and short hospitalization.
Reflection of presence: toward more natural and responsive telecollaboration

THe purpose of reflection of presence is to create a framework for a telepresence environment that intelligently responds and adapts itself to its inhabitants in order to enhance interpersonal communication or also reflections of the other remotely-located participants, just as if every one is standing in the same room looking at each other through a real mirror. Using visual and auditory cues, segmented images of participants are dynamically layered into a single display using varying transparency, position and scale to reflect center of attention and degree of presence. Wireless tangible interfaces allow participants to customize their shared space and collaboratively manipulate and annotate media objects in the background. The system is novel in that it is implemented totally as a set of cooperating scripts instead of through a low-level programming language, enabling rapid experimental changes in the behavior of the prototype.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Incarceration as a key variable in racial disparities of asthma prevalence

Despite the disproportionate incarceration of minorities in the United States, little data exist investigating how being incarcerated contributes to persistent racial/ethnic disparities in chronic conditions. We hypothesized that incarceration augments disparities in chronic disease. Using data from the New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Study, a community-based survey of 1999 adults, we first estimated the association between having a history of incarceration and the prevalence of asthma, diabetes, hypertension using propensity score matching methods. Propensity scores predictive of incarceration were generated using participant demographics, socioeconomic status, smoking, excessive alcohol and illicit drug use, and intimate partner violence. Among those conditions associated with incarceration, we then performed mediation analysis to explore whether incarceration mediates racial/ethnic disparities within the disease. Individuals with a history of incarceration were more likely to have asthma compared to those without (13% vs. 6%, p < 0.05) and not more likely to have diabetes or hypertension, after matching on propensity scores. Statistical mediation analysis revealed that increased rates of incarceration among Blacks partially contribute to the racial disparity in asthma prevalence. Having been incarcerated may augment racial disparities in asthma among NYC residents. Eliminating health disparities should include a better understanding of the role of incarceration and criminal justice policies in contributing to these disparities.
VADER: A Parsimonious Rule-based Model for Sentiment Analysis of Social Media Text

The inherent nature of social media content poses serious challenges to practical applications of sentiment analysis. We present VADER, a simple rule-based model for general sentiment analysis, and compare its effectiveness to eleven typical state-of-practice benchmarks including LIWC, ANEW, the General Inquirer, SentiWordNet, and machine learning oriented techniques relying on Naive Bayes, Maximum Entropy, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, we first construct and empirically validate a gold-standard list of lexical features (along with their associated sentiment intensity measures) which are specifically attuned to sentiment in microblog-like contexts. We then combine these lexical features with consideration for five general rules that embody grammatical and syntactical conventions for expressing and emphasizing sentiment intensity. Interestingly, using our parsimonious rule-based model to assess the sentiment of tweets, we find that VADER outperforms individual human raters (F1 Classification Accuracy = 0.96 and 0.84, respectively), and generalizes more favorably across contexts than any of our benchmarks.
Technique for Obtaining Raman Spectra of Contact Nuclei In Situ

Secondary nucleation, the formation of new crystals due to the prior presence of other growing crystals, is the primary source of new particles in most industrial crystallizers. Of the various types of secondary nucleation possible, contact nucleation, wherein a disturbance of a growing crystal surface results in nuclei, is thought to be the most prevalent.
Evaluating the sensitivity of Eurasian forest biomass to climate change using a dynamic vegetation model

Climate warming could strongly influence the structure and composition of the Eurasian boreal forest. Temperature related changes have occurred, including shifts in treelines and changes in regeneration. Dynamic vegetation models are well suited to the further exploration of the impacts that climate change may have on boreal forests. Using the individual-based gap model FAREAST, forest composition and biomass are simulated at over 2000 sites across Eurasia. Biomass output is compared to detailed forest data from a representative sample of Russian forests and a sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the impact that elevated temperatures and modified precipitation will have on forest biomass and composition in Eurasia. Correlations between model and forest inventory biomass are strong for several boreal tree species. A significant relationship is shown between altered precipitation and biomass. This analysis showed that a modest increase in temperature of 2 ◦ C across 200 years had no significant effect on biomass; however further exploration with increased warming reflective of values measured within Siberia, or at an increased rate, are warranted. Overall, FAREAST accurately simulates forest biomass and composition at sites throughout a large geographic area with widely varying climatic conditions and produces reasonable biomass responses to simulated climatic shifts. These results indicate that this model is robust and useful in making predictions regarding the effect of future climate change on boreal forest structure across Eurasia.
Ultraviolet Absorption of Insulators. II. Partially Ionic Crystals

A wide range of experimental data now indicates that uv structure depends primarily on crystal structure and only secondarily on atomic composition. We assign characteristic structure of ultraviolet absorption to interband transitions at symmetry points of the Brillouin zone. The crystal structures that are discussed are zincblende and wurtzite. The experimental information required for comparison with theoretical calculations is discussed, with special emphasis laid on the importance of polarization studies of the reflectance of hexagonal crystals.
Axial injection and phase selection studies of the MSU K1200 cyclotron

Axial injection into a cyclotron through its iron yoke, a spiral inflector, and the central region electrodes couples the transverse coordinates of motion together, as well as with the longitudinal coordinates. The phase slits in the K1200 cyclotron use the r-/spl phi/ correlations inherent in acceleration of ions in a cyclotron. Computer simulations of injection into and acceleration within the K1200 cyclotron encompassing the four transverse dimensions together with time were used to determine beam matching requirements for injection and phase selection in the K1200 cyclotron. The simulations were compared with measurements using an external timing detector.
Splitting the EB-5 Program: A Proposal for Employment-Based Immigration Reform to Better Target Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Investors

In 1997, Kyung Kim, a former executive with a Korean insurance company, immigrated to the United States with his wife and children through an immigration program designed for foreign entrepreneurs known as the EB-5 program.1 The program allows foreign-born entrepreneurs or investors with no family connection in the United States to immigrate to the United States, provided they make substantial human and capital investments.2 In order to immigrate under the EB-5 visa, Kim invested in a company called AIS, which was formed by former Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”) officials to help troubled textile mills.3 AIS attracted investors because it creatively structured its EB-5 deals, allowing foreign investors to put up only $125,000 in cash and $375,000 in the form of a promissory note, which would routinely be forgiven once the immigrant’s permanent residency application was approved.4 This was an arrangement the INS had signed off on many times before, but shortly after Kim invested, an internal probe concluded that the promissory notes were an impermissible guarantee.5 As a result, the INS abruptly changed its mind and
T Lymphocyte Dynamics in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Role of the Microbiome

Humans have coevolved with a complex community of bacterial species also referred to as the microbiome, which reciprocally provides critical contributions to human metabolism and immune system development. Gut microbiome composition differs significantly between individuals depending on host genetics, diet, and environmental factors. A dysregulation of the symbiotic nature of the intestinal host-microbial relationship and an aberrant and persistent immune response are the fundamental processes involved in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Considering the essential role of T cells in IBD and the contributing role of the microbiome in shaping the immune response during the pathogenesis of IBD, this review focuses on the complex relationship, interplay, and communication between the gut microbiome and T cells, including their differentiation into different subsets of effector or regulatory cells.
Associations between antibiotic exposure during pregnancy, birth weight and aberrant methylation at imprinted genes among offspring.

Associations between antibiotic exposure during pregnancy, birth weight and aberrant methylation at imprinted genes among offspring
Heavy element synthesis in the oldest stars and the early Universe

The first stars in the Universe were probably quite different from those born today. Composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium (plus a tiny trace of lithium), they lacked the heavier elements that determine the formation and evolution of younger stars. Although we cannot observe the very first stars--they died long ago in supernovae explosions--they created heavy elements that were incorporated into the next generation. Here we describe how observations of heavy elements in the oldest surviving stars in our Galaxy's halo help us understand the nature of the first stars--those responsible for the chemical enrichment of our Galaxy and Universe.
Distribution of pathologic findings in individuals with nephrotic proteinuria according to serum albumin

Background. Previous studies of the nephrotic syndrome have not carefully examined the relationship between serum albumin and the distribution of pathologic diagnoses found at the time of biopsy. The spectrum of pathologic findings in individuals with nephrotic proteinuria and a normal serum albumin has not been determined. Knowledge regarding the spectrum of findings in nephrotic proteinuria according to serum albumin levels may help nephrologists in the clinical decision making of when to perform a renal biopsy and in determining proper management of these patients. Methods. Pathologic reports of native kidney biopsies performed for idiopathic proteinuria >3 g/24 h were reviewed. Clinical characteristics and biopsy findings were compared for individuals with serum albumin 35 g/L (Group III). Results. There were 57 patients in Group I, 20 in Group II and 35 in Group III. The proportion of individuals with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) increased according to group: 26% in Group I, 45% in Group II and 74% in Group III. Of 35 patients in Group III, 34 had FSGS or advanced nephrosclerosis from another cause. Seven of 17 Group III patients with follow-up required dialysis after a mean interval of 6 years. Few of these patients received immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions. As serum albumin increases in the nephrotic syndrome, the proportion of patients with FSGS increases. Patients with nephrotic proteinuria and a serum albumin >35 g/L suffer from FSGS, nephrosclerosis and have poor renal survival. When evaluating nephrotic patients, nephrologists should use this knowledge about the spectrum of disease in the clinical decision making of when to perform a biopsy and in providing the patient more precise information regarding risks, benefits and alternatives of the kidney biopsy procedure.
Vegetation–Climate Feedbacks in the Conversion of Tropical Savanna to Grassland

Tropical savannas have been heavily impacted by human activity, with large expanses transformed from a mixture of trees and grasses to open grassland and agriculture. The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) CCM3 general circulation model, coupled with the NCAR Land Surface Model, was used to simulate the effects of this conversion on regional climate. Conversion of savanna to grassland reduced precipitation by approximately 10% in four of the five savanna regions under study; only the northern African savannas showed no significant decline. Associated with this decline was an increase in the frequency of dry periods within the wet season, a change that could be particularly damaging to shallow-rooted crops. The overall decline in precipitation is almost equally attributable to changes in albedo and roughness length. Conversion to grassland increased mean surface air temperature of all the regions by 0.58C, primarily because of reductions in surface roughness length. Rooting depth, which decreases dramatically with the conversion of savanna to grassland, contributed little to the overall effect of savanna conversion, but deeper rooting had a small positive effect on latent heat flux with a corresponding reduction in sensible heat flux. The authors propose that the interdependence of climate and vegetation in these regions is manifested as a positive feedback loop in which anthropogenic impacts on savanna vegetation are exacerbated by declines in precipitation.
Controllable motion synthesis in a gaseous medium

The generation of realistic motion satisfying user-defined requirements is one of the most important goals of computer animation. Our aim in this paper is the synthesis of realistic, controllable motion for lightweight natural objects in a gaseous medium. We formulate this problem as a large-scale spacetime optimization with user controls and fluid motion equations as constraints. We have devised novel and effective methods to make this large optimization tractable. Initial trajectories are generated with data-driven synthesis based on stylistic motion planning. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is used during optimization to produce fluid simulations at a reasonable computational cost, while interesting vortex-based fluid motion is generated by recording the presence of vortices in the initial trajectories and maintaining them through optimization. Object rotations are refined as a postprocess to enhance the visual quality of the results. We demonstrate our techniques on a number of animations involving single or multiple objects.
Diffusion and sorption of vapors in ethylene–propylene copolymers. I. Equilibrium sorption

Equilibrium sorption of cyclohexane, n-hexane, carbon tetrachloride, n-pentane, benzene, trichlorotrifluoroethane, and methylene chloride in ethylene-propylene copolymers at 10°, 23°, and 40°C. has been measured. These penetrants range from most soluble to least, in the order given. The propylene content of the copolymer has very little effect on equilibrium sorption, and the heats of dilution are small. The concentration dependence of the results is discussed in terms of the Flory-Huggins equation. Correlation between sorption and solubility parameter is considered.
Profiling protease activities by dynamic proteomics workflows

Proteases play prominent roles in many physiological processes and the pathogenesis of various diseases, which makes them interesting drug targets. To fully understand the functional role of proteases in these processes, it is necessary to characterize the target specificity of the enzymes, identify endogenous substrates and cleavage products as well as protease activators and inhibitors. The complexity of these proteolytic networks presents a considerable analytic challenge. To comprehensively characterize these systems, quantitative methods that capture the spatial and temporal distributions of the network members are needed. Recently, activity-based workflows have come to the forefront to tackle the dynamic aspects of proteolytic processing networks in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. In this review, we will discuss how mass spectrometry-based approaches can be used to gain new insights into protease biology by determining substrate specificities, profiling the activity-states of proteases, monitoring proteolysis in vivo, measuring reaction kinetics and defining in vitro and in vivo proteolytic events. In addition, examples of future aspects of protease research that go beyond mass spectrometry-based applications are given.
AMINO ACID COMPOSITION OF HIGH PROTEIN FRACTIONS PREPARED FROM MUNG BEANS, PEA BEANS, AND RED KIDNEY BEANS

Bean fractions containing 4–83% protein were prepared from mung beans, pea beans, and red kidney beans by aqueous extraction followed by acid precipitation. The yields of bean fractions containing the highest concentration of protein ranged from 64–76% depending on the beans used. Amino acid scores of the bean fractions compared favorably with those of the FAO reference pattern of amino acids. The sulfur amino acids, methionine, and cystine were first limiting in the bean fractions. In addition, the fractions prepared from mung beans were also deficient in threonine.
A Type VI Secretion System Effector Protein, VgrG1, from Aeromonas hydrophila That Induces Host Cell Toxicity by ADP Ribosylation of Actin

We recently delineated the importance of a type VI secretion system (T6SS) gene cluster in the virulence of diarrheal isolate SSU of Aeromonas hydrophila and showed that VasH, a sigma(54) activator and T6SS component, was involved in the production of its associated effectors, e.g., hemolysin-coregulated protein. To identify additional T6SS effectors and/or secreted proteins, we subjected culture supernatants from deletion mutants of A. hydrophila, namely, a Delta act mutant (a T2SS-associated cytotoxic enterotoxin-encoding gene) and a Delta act Delta vasH mutant, to 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometric analysis. Based on these approaches, we identified a member of the VgrG protein family, VgrG1, that contained a vegetative insecticidal protein (VIP-2) domain at its carboxyl-terminal end. Consequently, the vgrG1 gene was cloned in pBI-EGFP and pET-30a vectors to be expressed in HeLa Tet-Off cells and Escherichia coli, respectively. We assessed the ADP-ribosyltransferase (ADPRT) activity of various domains of purified recombinant VgrG1 (rVgrG1) and provided evidence that only the full-length VgrG1, as well as its carboxyl-terminal domain encoding the VIP-2 domain, showed ADPRT activity. Importantly, bacterium-host cell interaction was needed for the T6SS to induce cytotoxicity in eukaryotic cells, and we demonstrated translocation of VgrG1. Furthermore, our data indicated that expression of the genes encoding the full-length VgrG1 and its carboxyl-terminal domain in HeLa Tet-Off cells disrupted the actin cytoskeleton, which was followed by a decrease in cell viability and an increase in apoptosis. Taken together, these findings demonstrated for the first time that VgrG1 of A. hydrophila possessed actin ADPRT activity associated with its VIP-2 domain and that this domain alone was able to induce a rounded phenotype in HeLa Tet-Off cells, followed by apoptosis mediated by caspase 9 activation.
Recurrent Accessory Pathway Conduction in a Patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: How to Ablate?

We report a case of a malignant right free wall AP that showed very rapid conduction during atrial fibrillation. The accessory pathway was attached to from the right atrial appendage to the right ventricle. Catheter ablation from an endocardial approach was met with limited success. Epicardial mapping of the atrial insertion site was achieved via a subxiphoid pericardial puncture. Long-term success was noted after ablation was performed in the epicardial space at the site of the tightest VA interval.
Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH): Measurements in Human Spinal Fluid1

Levels of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) were quantitated in human lumbar spinal fluid (CSF) utilizing a sensitive and specific TRH radioimmunoassay. Endogenous TRH was sufficiently stable in CSF to permit 85% recovery of intact TRH after 48 h storage at 4 C. TRH levels in AM or PM samples obtained from 15 women and 12 men were easily detected in all CSF specimens. No significant difference between the TRH concentration in CSF of men and women was observed (44.2 ± 6.8 and 38.1 ± 6.5 pg/ml (mean ± se) respectively). TRH concentrations were 40.2 ± 6.9 pg/ml (mean ± sem) in am and 41.4 ± 8.0 pg/ml in pm samples. By contrast, CSF cortisol levels obtained concurrently were twofold higher in am than PM (0.68 ± 0.08 vs 0.38 ± 0.02 μg/100 ml (mean ± sem) respectively, P < 0.001). These data are consistent with the possibility that a portion of the TRH in CSF can be derived from the central nervous system (CNS) and unrelated to the hypophysiotropic control of thyrotropin (TSH) synthesis and secretion.
Inflammatory Muscle Diseases

The four main types of inflammatory muscle disease — dermatomyositis, polymyositis, necrotizing autoimmune myositis, and inclusion-body myositis — are summarized. Pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and treatment approaches are discussed.
Feminicidio, Narcoviolence, and Gentrification in Ciudad Juárez: The Feminist Fight

The fight against impunity continues along Mexico�s border, especially in the industrial hub of Ciudad Juarez. In the 1990s feminists brought this fight to international attention as they launched a transnational justice movement against feminicidio, the killing of women with impunity. In this paper I create a feminist and Marxist frame to show that there is much to be learned from the fight against feminicidio for the ongoing struggles in a border city that is now also notorious for juvenicidio, the killing of youth with impunity, which is occurring in relation to the Mexican government�s declaration of war against organized crime. By situating these justice struggles within a context of North American securitization and neoliberal gentrification along the Mexico�US border, I argue that the feminist fight against impunity exposes the synergy of symbolic and material processes within the drug war. And I argue that this synergy seeks to generate value through the extermination of whole populations, especially of working poor women and their families in this border city today.
Stage Versus Continuum in the Debris Assemblage from Production of A Fluted Biface

AbstractOrdinarily we regard the litic reduction sequence as a series of stages, but it may instead be a continuum. Using the debris assemblage generated in producing a fluted biface broadly of Gainey affinity, in which each flake was numbered in order of removal, this study evaluates stage and continuous approaches as models of reduction. Stages are not evident, despite the use of several methods to identify them. Instead, a multiple regression model identifies dorsal scar count, flake weight, and plat-form width as significant predictors of removal order in the reduction continuum.
Miller Fisher Syndrome Presenting as Pseudotumor

Two female children, ages 9 and 2 years, who presented with pseudotumor cerebri and within 2 to 3 days, were diagnosed with Miller Fisher syndrome are reported from the Hopital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola, Brussels, Belgium.
Effect of P-Aminobenzoic Acid on Therapeutic and Toxic Action of Sulfapyridine.∗

Summary1. P-aminobenzoic acid (given subcutaneously) was found capable of nullifying the curative effect of sulfapyridine (given per os) for type I pneumococcus infection in mice. 2. P-aminobenzoic acid had no observable effect upon the immediate fatal toxicity of sulfapyridine for mice.
In search of missing pieces: A re-examination of trends in ICTD research

ICTD benefits from being a broad multidisciplinary field that unites researchers from a wide range of domains attempting to understand the role of ICTs in the context of social, economic and political development. As a new field of study, however, ICTD continuously grapples with epistemological differences and varying (and often evolving) notions of what counts as development, and there still exists a significant gap in outlining where the current boundaries of this field lie. In this paper we present "Missing Pieces," an ongoing research project with the primary aim of uncovering the constitution, development, growth and impact of ICTD. Through in-depth quantitative and qualitative analyses of the distribution of participation in and impact of ICTD research across places, people, institutions, organizations and funding agencies, this project will look beyond just trends, and instead focus on finding the missing pieces, i.e. what, or rather who is being left out.
Femtosecond 3 Pulse Stimulated Photon Echo Peak Shift Measurements of Organic Polymer Glass from Room Temperature to 30 K

We measured temperature dependence of three pulse stimulated photon echo peak shifts (3PEPS) for a dye doped polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) which is a glass at ambient temperature.
Platelet derived wound healing factors (PDWHF) accelerate and augment wound healing angiogenesis in the rat

The object of this study was to determine the effect of PDWHF on wound healing angiogenesis. Sponges saturated with PDWHF were implanted in rats. Six hours to 14 days post-implantation, vascular corrosion casts were prepared and examined by SEM. Leukocyte margination and angiogenesis was accelerated by 24-48 hours. Vessel number was also greater than in the controls. Another series of PDWHF treated sponges were implanted. Fourteen days later the vasculature was perfused with Evans blue. Sponges were homogenized, and absorbance of the supernatants was determined. Absorbances of PDWHF supernatants was 2X greater than controls. PDWHF enhanced wound healing angiogenesis in the rat.
Acts and Missional Ecumenism: Models of Church

The term “missional ecumenism” has received popularity since its use by Evangelical missiologist John Armstrong at the 2014 National Workshop on Christian Unity. For Armstrong, the term refers to the vital need of seeking the unity of the churches for the mission of the church; missional ecumenism as a purpose of the Church is a notion shared by the Joint Working Group between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches and The Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches respectively. In the spirit of offering a biblical reception of “missional ecumenism” for the contemporary church especially after the centennial year celebration of the 1910 Edinburgh missionary conference in 2010, this paper explores resources from the Acts of the Apostles in search for models of unity to support the pursuit of legitimate, visible unity among churches. Acts records not only the struggles for unity among the earliest Christian communities but also the churches’ experience of unity under one Lord as one people. I see missional ecumenicity in the archives of Acts – churches deal with differences without dividing the communities so as to focus on the outreach and witness of the church to society (although some issues nearly became church-divisive). Thus, the early church’s way of being may be interpreted as embodying a “missional ecumenism” which could be transposed for the contemporary church even as ecclesiological identity and Christian mission then is less complex than the traditioning and visioneering of Christianities at our milieu. I proffer from my theological reading of Acts that God desires churches to be united post-Pentecost and prior to the Eschaton: the mission of and for the unity of the churches amid its mission to the world do not have to wait for its full realization at the eschatological assembly.
The Impact of Item Sequence Order on Local Item Dependence: An Item Response Theory Perspective

Local item dependence (LID) suggests a response to one item was directly influenced by a response to another item. Items exhibiting LID typically cause survey participants to provide biased/inaccurate responses, which ultimately poses a threat to score validity. Further, conflicting ‘best practice’ guidelines from survey research experts on how to construct surveys, particularly whether related items should be presented in a random or consistent order, may contribute to LID bias. The purpose of this paper is to bring attention to the issue of LID via a case example/experiment and illustrate how following best practice guidelines for survey construction may actually increase bias/error in some instances. Implications and recommendations are discussed.
The Consumer Trap: Big Business Marketing in American Life

(2006). The Consumer Trap: Big Business Marketing in American Life. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 1162-1164.
A Word to the Wise: Advice for Scientists Engaged in Collaborative Adaptive Management

Collaborative adaptive management is a process for making decisions about the environment in the face of uncertainty and conflict. Scientists have a central role to play in these decisions. However, while scientists are well trained to reduce uncertainty by discovering new knowledge, most lack experience with the means to mitigate conflict in contested situations. To address this gap, we drew from our efforts coordinating a large collaborative adaptive management effort, the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project, to offer advice to our fellow environmental scientists. Key challenges posed by collaborative adaptive management include the confusion caused by multiple institutional cultures, the need to provide information at management-relevant scales, frequent turnover in participants, fluctuations in enthusiasm among key constituencies, and diverse definitions of success among partners. Effective strategies included a dedication to consistency, a commitment to transparency, the willingness to communicate frequently via multiple forums, and the capacity for flexibility. Collaborative adaptive management represents a promising, new model for scientific engagement with the public. Learning the lessons of effective collaboration in environmental management is an essential task to achieve the shared goal of a sustainable future.
Ultrathin Hollow Graphene Oxide Membranes for Use as Nanoparticle Carriers.

We synthesize hollow spherical particles/membrane sacks of graphene oxide loaded with nanoparticles to be used as nanoparticles carriers, through a new method based on emulsion precipitation and sublimation of the cores. We vary the synthesis parameters, such as shear rate, pH, and graphene oxide and oil concentration ratios. Our results show a concentration dependent membrane thickness that varies between 3 and 25 nm depending on the concentration, and their mean diameters vary between 500 nm and 70 μm. In addition, polymeric nanoparticles are loaded inside the graphene oxide shells forming core–shell particles demonstrating that they can be used as carriers for nanoparticles. Our particles are characterized via laser diffraction, zeta potential, FE-SEM, TEM, BET, and AFM. Potential applications of this work include applications that benefit from core–shell structures and nanoparticle carriers, including drug formulation, catalysis, and electrochemical applications.
Can Patient Record Summarization Support Quality Metric Abstraction

We present a pre/post intervention study, where HARVEST, a general-purpose patient record summarization tool, was introduced to ten data abstraction specialists. The specialists are responsible for reviewing hundreds of patient charts each month and reporting disease-specific quality metrics to a variety of online registries and databases. We qualitatively and quantitatively investigated whether HARVEST improved the process of quality metric abstraction. Study instruments included pre/post questionnaires and log analyses of the specialists' actions in the electronic health record (EHR). The specialists reported favorable impressions of HARVEST and suggested that it was most useful when abstracting metrics from patients with long hospitalizations and for metrics that were not consistently captured in a structured manner in the EHR. A statistically significant reduction in time spent per chart before and after use of HARVEST was observed for 50% of the specialists and 90% of the specialists continue to use HARVEST after the study period.
Evaluating micro patterns and software metrics in vulnerability prediction

Software security is an important aspect of ensuring software quality. Early detection of vulnerable code during development is essential for the developers to make cost and time effective software testing. The traditional software metrics are used for early detection of software vulnerability, but they are not directly related to code constructs and do not specify any particular granularity level. The goal of this study is to help developers evaluate software security using class-level traceable patterns called micro patterns to reduce security risks. The concept of micro patterns is similar to design patterns, but they can be automatically recognized and mined from source code. If micro patterns can better predict vulnerable classes compared to traditional software metrics, they can be used in developing a vulnerability prediction model. This study explores the performance of class-level patterns in vulnerability prediction and compares them with traditional class-level software metrics. We studied security vulnerabilities as reported for one major release of Apache Tomcat, Apache Camel and three stand-alone Java web applications. We used machine learning techniques for predicting vulnerabilities using micro patterns and class-level metrics as features. We found that micro patterns have higher recall in detecting vulnerable classes than the software metrics.
IMS2018 Opening and Closing Sessions

Presents information on the IMA 2018 conference, including the opening and closing sessions.
The Relationship of Objective Physical Activity with Traditional and Nontraditional Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in the USA, accounting for one of every three deaths. Physical activity (PA) has been shown to have numerous beneficial effects for CVD risk reduction in women. Nonetheless, much of the previous research on the impact of PA on CVD risk factors has been measured using self-report questionnaires. The purpose of this review was to summarize the main findings for the association between objectively measured PA and PA interventions on traditional and nontraditional CVD risk factors from randomized controlled trials (RCT), cohort, and cross-sectional studies published in or after 2011. Traditional risk factors included hypertension, lipids, diabetes mellitus, and obesity whereas nontraditional risk factors included hypertension during pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and depression. Shifting from traditional CVD risk factors to nontraditional, researchers have been assessing objective PA and PA interventions on pregnancy-related CVD risk factors. A recent meta-analysis and RCT found that exercise during pregnancy reduces the risk of GDM compared to standard maternity care. Recent intervention studies show the beneficial effects of strength training and high-intensity interval training on insulin resistance in women with PCOS. More research looking at PA interventions with objectively measured compliance to PA (actual number of minutes, intensity, etc.) and observational studies using objective measures for PA (accelerometers, pedometers, etc.) are necessary at this time due to the difficulty of measuring light PA and the overestimation of MVPA through self-report.