cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) by RGS proteins: role of the GnRHR carboxyl-terminus.

Abstract The cytoplasmic carboxyl-terminus of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), absent in the mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), plays an important role in receptor expression, desensitization, internalization and efficiency of coupling to G proteins. Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) likewise are involved in regulating GPCR-G protein mediated responses and can regulate transcription of other genes. In this study, we evaluate differential expression, ligand binding and effector coupling of the rat GnRHR (rGnRHR) and a chimera of rGnRHR with the pre-mammalian carboxyl domain (rGnRHR-C-tail). Membrane expression of the chimeric receptor and G q α and G s α-mediated signaling was increased 2- and 1.5-fold, respectively by RGS10, while RGS3 did not interfere with rGnRHR and rGnRHR-C-tail cell surface expression in spite of negatively regulating GnRH-stimulated G q α-mediated signaling by both receptors. The rGnRHR and rGnRHR-C-tail showed similar internalization rates in the presence of either RGS protein, indicating that the modification of rGnRHR expression and regulation in the presence of a carboxyl-terminus by RGS10 was not caused by alteration of the internalization rate. The observations in this study implicate the carboxyl domain of the receptor as a site of interaction for RGS10, but not RGS3. This is the first evidence of an altered cell surface expression and regulation of the GnRHR bearing a carboxyl-terminus by RGS proteins.
The Pink Eye Syndrome Does Not Impair Tuber Fresh Cut Wound-Related Responses

The potato tuber pink eye (PE) syndrome is a costly physiological disorder that results in corruption of the native periderm, susceptibility to infection, water vapor loss and associated shrinkage, roughened and cracked tuber surfaces, and various related blemishes and defects. PE results in aberrant internal suberin deposition without overt induction by a wound, yet little is known of the effect of PE on wound healing. Herein, we determined the effect of the PE syndrome on basic wound-healing processes: reduction of water vapor loss, suberization and induction of the wound-related hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA). There was no significant difference in reduction of water vapor loss, rate of accumulation of suberin biopolymers or induction of ABA and JA biosynthesis during wound healing in PE vs. control tubers. These results are important because they indicate that the PE syndrome does not induce a systemic effect that adversely impacts these crucial wound-related processes throughout the tuber, including those areas of the tuber that have no detectable PE symptoms.
Improved paramedic sensitivity in identifying stroke victims in the prehospital setting.

Objective. The authors have previously shown that San Francisco paramedics without specific training in stroke recognition identified acute stroke victims with a 61% sensitivity and a 77% positive predictive value (PPV). The authors implemented an educational program on stroke to improve paramedic accuracy in stroke recognition. Methods. Twenty-two paramedics volunteered to attend a four-hour seminar about stroke and then were followed prospectively for six months. All encounters with adult patients who were evaluated by both trained and untrained paramedics and were transported to two university hospitals were reviewed. Subjects were identified by paramedic assessment as stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and/or final hospital discharge diagnosis of stroke/TIA after detailed chart review. Sensitivity and PPV for paramedic identification of stroke were calculated. Results. During the prospective six-month phase, 84 confirmed stroke patients were transported to the target hospitals. Of the 32 who were ...
Dynamical heterogeneity in periodically deformed polymer glasses.

The dynamics of structural relaxation in a model polymer glass subject to spatially homogeneous, time-periodic shear deformation is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. We study a coarse-grained bead-spring model of short polymer chains below the glass transition temperature. It is found that at small strain amplitudes, the segmental dynamics is nearly reversible over about ${10}^{4}$ cycles, while at strain amplitudes above a few percent, polymer chains become fully relaxed after a hundred cycles. At the critical strain amplitude, the transition from slow to fast relaxation dynamics is associated with the largest number of dynamically correlated monomers as indicated by the peak value of the dynamical susceptibility. The analysis of individual monomer trajectories showed that mobile monomers tend to assist their neighbors to become mobile and aggregate into relatively compact transient clusters.
Mechanism of poly(acrylic acid) acceleration of antithrombin inhibition of thrombin: implications for the design of novel heparin mimics.

The bridging mechanism of antithrombin inhibition of thrombin is a dominant mechanism contributing a massive ∼2500-fold acceleration in the reaction rate and is also a key reason for the clinical usage of heparin. Our recent study of the antithrombin-activating properties of a carboxylic acid-based polymer, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), demonstrated a surprisingly high acceleration in thrombin inhibition (Monien, B. H.; Desai, U. R. J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48, 1269). To better understand this interesting phenomenon, we have studied the mechanism of PAA-dependent acceleration in antithrombin inhibition of thrombin. Competitive binding studies with low-affinity heparin and a heparin tetrasaccharide suggest that PAA binds antithrombin in both the pentasaccharide- and the extended heparin-binding sites, and these results are corroborated by molecular modeling. The salt-dependence of the KD of the PAA−antithrombin interaction shows the formation of five ionic interactions. In contrast, the contribution of nonionic for...
Octyl glucoside extracts GTP-binding regulatory proteins from rat brain "synaptoneurosomes" as large, polydisperse structures devoid of beta gamma complexes and sensitive to disaggregation by guanine nucleotides.

Abstract GTP-binding regulatory proteins are generally purified from cholate-extracted membranes in the form of heterotrimers (G proteins) consisting of a GTP-binding subunit (alpha protein) complexed with a tightly interacted heterodimer termed beta gamma. In this study we extracted the proteins from rat brain "synaptoneurosomes" using the neutral detergent 1-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (octyl glucoside). Using specific antibodies for detection by immunoblotting and sucrose gradients for analyzing hydrodynamic properties, we found that each species of alpha protein (alpha subunits of stimulatory, inhibitory, and brain GTP-binding proteins) exhibited a broad range (4 S to greater than 12 S) of polydisperse structures with peak values (5 S to 7 S) considerably greater than that of heterotrimeric G proteins. The beta subunit proteins, for example, appeared as a homogeneous peak at 4.4 S within which only a fraction of the total alpha proteins can be associated. Incubation of octyl glucose extracts at 30 degrees C rapidly sedimented the alpha proteins but not the beta proteins. Incubation at 30 degrees C with guanosine 5'[gamma-thio]triphosphate (10-100 microM) prevented rapid sedimentation. Hydrodynamic analysis revealed that all alpha proteins were converted to approximately 4 S structures by the actions of guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate without change in the hydrodynamic properties of the beta proteins. Extraction of the membranes with sodium cholate instead of octyl glucoside resulted in complete loss of the large, polydisperse structures of the alpha proteins; the S values were approximately 4 S, in the range for beta proteins. These findings suggest that the transducing GTP-binding proteins in synaptoneurosomes exist as polydisperse, possibly multimer, structures of various size that are stable in octyl glucoside but destroyed by cholate. The polydisperse structures are not associated with beta gamma complexes and are sensitive to the disaggregating effects of guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate.
Two-dimensional optical emission imaging of a XeCl discharge in a microwave resonant cavity

Optical emission of a XeCl excimer discharge, within a 1.2-cm diameter quartz discharge tube, excited by 2.45-GHz microwaves in an Asmussen resonant cavity, operating in the TM/sub 012/ cavity mode, has been imaged onto a two-dimensional (2-D) charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Spatial imaging of the discharge provides information on the heating regions of the cylindrical plasma as well as the contraction of the plasma diameter with increasing pressure. This technique also provides a real-time diagnostic for production of ultra-violet (UV) emission using a UV bandpass filter.
Environmental Perception and Urban Experience

This paper addresses two fundamental questions: "What is the nature of environmental perception?" and "What is the relationship between perceived environmental change and environmental action?" The questions are approached by analyzing the dimensions of environmental experience into four major categories: the environment as external object, as representation of self, as embodiment of value, and as arena for action.
Cryptographic security for mobile code

We address the protection of mobile code against cheating and potentially malicious hosts. We point out that the recent approach based on computing with "encrypted functions" is limited to the case where only the code originator learns the result of the completion and the host running the code must not notice anything at all. We argue that if the host is to receive some output of the computation, then securing mobile code requires minimal trust in a third party. Tamper-proof hardware installed on each host has been proposed for this purpose. We introduce a new approach for securely executing (fragments of) mobile code that relies on a minimally trusted third party. This party is a generic independent entity, called the secure computation service, which performs some operations on behalf of the mobile application, but does not learn anything about the encrypted computation. Because it is universal, the secure computation service needs to be only minimally trusted and can serve many different applications. We present a protocol based on tools from theoretical cryptography that is quite practical for computing small functions.
Is controversy about 'transfer factor therapy' nearing an end?

Abstract Nearly 30-years after Lawrencefirst described ‘transfer factor' the therapeutic value of dialysable leukocyte extracts is now being examined in adequately designed trials. The evidence of its efficacy in certain patients in certain circumstances is unmistakable.
Interfacial structure and point defects in Ceria/zirconia superlattices

We report the results of a molecular dynamics simulation study aiming to understand the interfacial structure in ceria/zirconia superlattices and the impact of the interfaces on the energies of oxygen vacancy formation and Gd ion substitution in ceria and zirconia layers of the superlattice structure. It is found that the semi-coherent interface is characterized by misfit dislocations, paired at approximately 3-4 nm, with stacking-fault-like region in between, which agrees with the TEM observations. It is also found that the vacancy formation energy and the Gd substitution energy vary as a function of distance from the interface in the individual layers, and that these energies depend on the layer thickness. In addition, the simulations showed that the defect energy variations across the thickness of the ceria and zirconia layers are consistent with the XPS data for composition profile in the superlattice structure. Finally, in the semi-coherent superlattice structure, the formation energy of oxygen vacancies and the Gd substitution energy are found to depend on the position of these defects relative to the interfacial dislocation core. In particular, the oxygen vacancy formation energy is found to be negative close to the dislocation core, indicating that vacancy concentration will increase in such regions allowing for high conduction parallel to the interface.
C60-Fullerenes: detection of intracellular photoluminescence and lack of cytotoxic effects

We have developed a new method of application of C60 to cultured cells that does not require water-solubilization techniques. Normal and malignant cells take-up C60 and the inherent photoluminescence of C60 is detected within multiple cell lines. Treatment of cells with up to 200 μg/ml (200 ppm) of C60 does not alter morphology, cytoskeletal organization, cell cycle dynamics nor does it inhibit cell proliferation. Our work shows that pristine C60 is non-toxic to the cells, and suggests that fullerene-based nanocarriers may be used for biomedical applications.
An Introductory Course in Nanoelectronics at the Senior/Graduate Level

This paper describes the rationale, organization and topic coverage for a course introducing seniors and first year graduate students in electrical engineering and related disciplines to the exciting and revolutionary developments occurring in the electronics realm at the nanoscale, i.e. nanoelectronics. Included is a survey and introduction to carbon nanotube based FETs, devices based on electron spin (spintronics), nanowires and nanotransistors, single electron transistors and molecular electronics. Also examined are recent advancements in silicon devices, such as nanoscale and strained MOSFETs, multigate MOSFETs (FinFETs) and compositional grading at the nanoscale in SiGe HBTs. The bandgap engineering of multilayer semiconductor structures at the nanoscale and its use in modern III-V HEMTs, HBTs and quantum structures is also surveyed. Finally, briefly introduced are a variety of new nanoscale fabrication technologies that are emerging, such as micro-contact and dip pen nanolithography, and recently developed nanoscale imaging techniques, such as atomic force microscopy. While the available time in a single quarter or semester course does not permit an in-depth discussion of these topics, the course is intended to acquaint the student with the most recent developments at the forefront of the electronics field, to excite their curiosity and imagination, and to provide the student with a basic understanding of the underlying concepts to enable subsequent study.
Improving system reliability using FRFET® in LLC resonant converters

The trend in power converters is towards increasing power densities. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to reduce power losses, overall system size and weight by increasing the switching frequency. High reliability is also very important for todaypsilas switched mode power supplies. The zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) or zero-current-switching (ZCS) topologies that allow for high frequency switching while minimizing the switching losses are of interest. The ZVS topology operating at high frequency can improve the efficiency as well as reduce the size of the application. It also reduces the stress on power switches and therefore improves the reliability. LLC resonant half bridge converters are becoming a popular topology since they can provide these benefits. Now, it is widely accepted for many applications from high-end servers even to flat panel display power supplies. But the ZVS bridge topologies including LLC resonant half bridge require a MOSFET with fast reverse recovery body diode for better reliability. This article shows potential failure modes of power MOSFET in LLC resonant half bridge converters and proposes a solution for this. An enhanced FRFETreg, power MOSFET with fast recovery body diode, provides higher reliability at the same performance.
Early continuous noninvasive haemodynamic monitoring after severe blunt trauma

Abstract Background: invasive haemodynamic parameters obtained by pulmonary artery (PA) catheterization from survivors' patterns were reported to provide criteria for therapeutic goals in high-risk elective surgery and accidental injuries. This approach is limited because PA catheterization requires critical care conditions; however, noninvasive methods can provide early information anywhere in the hospital. Objectives: to evaluate the feasibility of using noninvasive haemodynamic monitoring of patients with severe blunt trauma immediately after emergency department (ED) admission and to describe the early time course of haemodynamic events in survivors and nonsurvivors of blunt trauma. Setting: a large, academic, level-I trauma centre. Design: prospective, descriptive haemodynamic study. Patients and methods: 38 severely injured patients, 22 (58%) survivors and 16 (42%) nonsurvivors, with ISS>15 were monitored by: (a) an improved thoracic bioelectric impedance device that estimated cardiac output noninvasively and continuously, (b) simultaneous arterial oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, (c) noninvasive blood pressure measurement and (d) transcutaneous oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors. The patients were monitored as soon as possible upon arrival at the ED and continued during the first 24 h or more after admission. When the patient reached the ICU, monitoring by PA catheterization was undertaken to validate the noninvasive methods and for continued diagnostic evaluations. Results: cardiac output estimations by thermodilution and bioimpedance were well correlated; r =0.91. Survivors started with high cardiac index (CI) values that subsequently rose to over 4 L/min/m 2 ; arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ), transcutaneous oxygen tension and transcutaneous-oxygen-tension-to-inspired-fraction-of-oxygen-concentration (PtcO 2 /FiO 2 ) values were normal in survivors and higher than those of the nonsurvivors. In the 1st h after admission, nonsurvivors' blood pressures were higher than normal and higher than that of the survivors, but in the 2nd and 3rd h, both groups were in the normal range; thereafter, nonsurvivors' values were lower than survivors' and often lower than normal. Conclusions: the noninvasive haemodynamic monitoring system provides reasonably accurate, continuous, on-line, real-time display of haemodynamic data that show marked differences in the early patterns of survivors and nonsurvivors. The study suggests noninvasive monitoring may be used for early detection and correction of posttraumatic circulatory deficits.
Determining the Acceptance of Cadaveric Livers Using an Implicit Model of the Waiting List

The only available therapy for patients with end-stage liver disease is organ transplantation. In the United States, patients with end-stage liver disease are placed on a waiting list and offered livers based on location and waiting time, as well as current and past health. Although there is a shortage of cadaveric livers, 45% of all cadaveric liver offers are declined by the first transplant surgeon and/or patient to whom they are offered. We consider the decision problem faced by these patients: Should an offered organ of a given quality be accepted or declined? We formulate a Markov decision process model in which the state of the process is described by patient state and organ quality. We use a detailed model of patient health to estimate the parameters of our decision model and implicitly consider the effects of the waiting list through our patient-state-dependent definition of the organ arrival probabilities. We derive structural properties of the model, including a set of intuitive conditions that ensure the existence of control-limit optimal policies. We use clinical data in our computational experiments, which confirm that the optimal policy is typically of control-limit type.
The eyes have it: lexical and syntactic comprehension in a new paradigm.

A new method to assess language comprehension in infants and young children is introduced in three experiments which test separately for the comprehension of nouns, verbs, and word order. This method requires a minimum of motor movement, no speech production, and relies on the differential visual fixation of two simultaneously presented video events accompanied by a single linguistic stimulus. The linguistic stimulus matches only one of the video events. In all three experiments patterns of visual fixation favour the screen which matches the linguistic stimulus. This new method may provide insight into the child's emerging linguistic capabilities and help resolve longstanding controversies concerning language production versus language comprehension.
Life satisfaction and well-being measures in ventilator assisted individuals with traumatic tetraplegia

This study evaluates the effect of complete traumatic tetraplegia on the life satisfaction and well-being of 87 individuals, 42 of whom are ventilator supported, 2 years or more postinjury. Standard psychosocial instruments were used. The relative distress comparing ventilator dependence with loss of extremity function was also evaluated. The ventilator assisted individuals with tetraplegia (VAITs) were significantly more satisfied with their housing, family life, and employment when applicable, than were the autonomously breathing individuals with tetraplegia (ABITs). The VAITs' life satisfaction and other well-being and quality of life indicators were generally positive, and were significantly underestimated by a control group of health care professionals. Only 23.8% of the VAITs expressed general dissatisfaction with their lives compared with 35.6% of the ABITs. The ABITs and the control group significantly overestimated the distress which the VAITs associated with ventilator use by comparison with loss of upper extremity function. We conclude that long-term life satisfaction and well-being are considered to be positive by the majority of both ABITs and VAITs, are at least as high in the latter as in the former, correlate best with family and social interaction, and are severely underestimated for both ABITs and VAITs by health care professionals.
Characteristics and Predictors of Coresidential Stability among Couples

Studies documenting economic, social, and even health advantages to stable marriages and quality relationships explain why the indicators and outcomes of long-term relationship stability are of great interest to social scientists. The bulk of research on relationship stability and duration focuses on heterosexual couples. Many same-sex couples maintain long-term relationships akin to marriage, yet little is known about the degree to which these relationships might provide similar advantages to lesbians and gay men. This study uses data from the United States decennial census (2000) to compare demographic, economic, and health differences among non-coupled individuals and those in three different coupling arrangements—different-sex married, different-sex unmarried, and same-sex couples—and explore how these differences correlate and perhaps predict long-term coresidential stability. Findings indicate broad similarity in predictors of stability among different-sex married and same-sex and different-sex unmarried couples. The odds of being in a long-term relationship relative to different-sex married couples are higher for same-sex couples living in states with sexual orientation anti-discrimination laws, suggesting that supportive social and legal climates do impact relationship stability in couples.
Evaluation of Ultrahigh Resolution Ion Mobility Spectrometry as an Analytical Separation Device in Chromatographic Terms

An ion mobility spectrometer IMS that routinely achieves separation efficiencies in line with the theoretical diffusion limited maximum has been constructed. The theoretical maximum efficiency is a function of the total voltage drop, the temperature, the number of charges on the ion, the initial pulse width, . the length of the spectrometer, and the mobility K of the ion of interest. Despite the fact that our current instrumental setup uses modest voltages and fairly high temperatures, we were able to achieve over 130,000 theoretical plates for a singly charged ion in less than 25 ms. In addition, selectivity can be altered in IMS by . changing the drift gas or by increasing the electric field )1000 Vrcm such that the mobility of ions is no longer a linear function of the electric field. Separation . factors a can be altered by as much as 20% by changing the drift gas in the spectrometer. Finally leucine and isoleucine were separated in less than 23 ms with a resolution of 0.668 demonstrating the separation power of the instru-
Warm-fluid equilibrium theory of an intense charged-particle beam propagating through a Periodic solenoidal focusing channel

A warm-fluid theory of a thermal equilibrium for a rotating charged-particle beam in a periodic solenoidal focusing magnetic field is presented. The warm-fluid equilibrium equations are solved in the paraxial approximation. It is shown that the flow velocity for the thermal equilibrium corresponds to periodic rotation and radial pulsation. The equation of state for the thermal equilibrium is adiabatic. The beam envelope equation and self-consistent Poisson's equation are derived. The comparison between analytically computed density profiles and the recent experimental results from University of Maryland Electron Ring (UMER) is presented. Temperature effects in the beam equilibria are investigated. The radial confinement of the beam is discussed.
Monocyte Subset Dynamics in Human Atherosclerosis Can Be Profiled with Magnetic Nano-Sensors

Monocytes are circulating macrophage and dendritic cell precursors that populate healthy and diseased tissue. In humans, monocytes consist of at least two subsets whose proportions in the blood fluctuate in response to coronary artery disease, sepsis, and viral infection. Animal studies have shown that specific shifts in the monocyte subset repertoire either exacerbate or attenuate disease, suggesting a role for monocyte subsets as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Assays are therefore needed that can selectively and rapidly enumerate monocytes and their subsets. This study shows that two major human monocyte subsets express similar levels of the receptor for macrophage colony stimulating factor (MCSFR) but differ in their phagocytic capacity. We exploit these properties and custom-engineer magnetic nanoparticles for ex vivo sensing of monocytes and their subsets. We present a two-dimensional enumerative mathematical model that simultaneously reports number and proportion of monocyte subsets in a small volume of human blood. Using a recently described diagnostic magnetic resonance (DMR) chip with 1 ml sample size and high throughput capabilities, we then show that application of the model accurately quantifies subset fluctuations that occur in patients with atherosclerosis.
Is HIV Involved in the Pathogenesis of Non-Infectious Pulmonary Complications in Infected Patients?

Pulmonary complications of AIDS are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected individuals, and are often direct indicators of enhanced progression to an AIDS-defining illness. HIV can be detected in the lung during asymptomatic disease, as well as during the advanced stages of AIDS. With prolonged survival of HIV-infected patients, non-infectious pulmonary complications are becoming more common and can lead to respiratory compromise and failure. The pathogenesis of non-infectious pulmonary complications, following HIV infection is not fully understood, and the role that HIV-induced immunosuppression plays in the development of these complications is not known. In this review, we will discuss non-infectious pulmonary complications of HIV infection, focusing on HIV-associated malignancies of the lung, inflammatory disorders, pulmonary hypertension and the effect of antiretroviral therapy on the incidence of these diseases. The possible role that HIV plays in the pathogenesis of these pulmonary disorders is also addressed.
Environmental modification of hard red winter wheat flour protein composition

The intrinsic processing quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars is modified significandy by cultural conditions and climate. In an attempt to understand the biochemical basis of such variation, environmental modification of flour protein content and composition was measured. Thirty hard red winter wheat cultivars and experimental lines were grown at 17 Nebraska environments during 1990 and 1991. Environmental conditions, including grain filling duration, temperature and relative humidity during grain filling, were monitored. Grain yield and test weight also were determined as environmental indicators. Significant linear correlations between flour protein content, as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy, were observed only with the duration of grain filling. Protein quality, as measured by SDS sedimentation volumes and size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography, was highly influenced by the frequency of high temperatures during grain filling and by the relative humidity. Observed ranges in genotypic responses (variance) at locations also were altered by environmental factors. Optimal protein quality, as determined by SDS sedimentation volumes, was observed with exposure to less than 90 h of temperature greater than 32 °C during grain filling. Protein quality declined with exposure to a greater number of hours of elevated temperature. © 1995 Academic Press Limited
The effects of differential linguistic patterns in messages attempting to induce resistance to persuasion

This investigation posited an interaction between type of message strategy (supportive or refutational) and level of language intensity used in messages attempting to induce resistance to subsequent persuasive appeals. As predicted, there was a positive linear relationship between language intensity and resistance to persuasion when supportive pre‐treatment messages were employed; moreover, a predicted curvilinear relationship was found when differing levels of intense language were used in refutational pretreatment messages. Results are discussed in terms of the mediating effects of language variable in inoculation and congruity theory predictions.
Effect of Thirty-Two Per Cent Dextran 70 on Peritoneal Adhesion formation and Re-Formation after Lysis*

Thirty-two per cent dextran 70 in dextrose (Hyskon) has been reported effective in limiting adhesion formation following a peritoneal injury when employed in doses larger than that known to be safe for intraperitoneal use in humans. The effectiveness of a lower dosage believed to be safe for human use was investigated. Female rabbits received a standardized injury to their uterine horns and proximal fallopian tubes. Following the injury, Hyskon (2.5ml/kg of body weight) was dripped over the sites of injury in the treatment group. Animals were reoperated upon 2weeks later, and adhesions were scored. Hyskon significantly reduced adhesion formation. In a second experiment the effect of Hyskon on adhesion re-formation was evaluated. Adhesions were induced in the same manner. Two weeks later, the animals were reoperated upon, and adhesions were scored and lysed. Hyskon was instilled in the treatment group as in the first experiment. No significant difference was noted between adhesion scores in control and treatment groups after adhesion induction or when re-evaluated 2weeks after lysis.
SRF and TEF-1 control of chicken skeletal alpha-actin gene during slow-muscle hypertrophy

The purpose of this study was to delineate the alpha-actin regulatory elements and transcription factors that are responsible for conferring stretch-overload responsiveness during hypertrophy of th...
Abstract 288: Consistency of Hemoglobin A1C Testing and Amputation Risk

Importance: While amputation rates have declined for patients with diabetes in the last decade, it remains unknown if preventive measures such as hemoglobin A1C testing have been associated with these improvements. Objective: To determine associations between hemoglobin A1c testing and amputation risk. Design, Setting, and Participants: We identified 11,942,840 Medicare patients with diabetes over the age of 65 between 2002-2012, and followed them for a mean of 6.6 years. We recorded the occurrence of lower-limb amputation and hemoglobin A1C testing. We examined associations between amputation risk and hemoglobin A1C testing. We measured both the presence of any testing, as well as testing consistency, using three categories: poor consistency (hemoglobin A1C testing in 0-50% of years), medium consistency (testing in 50-90% of years)), and high consistency (testing in >90% of the years in the cohort). Main Outcome Measure: Major (above or below-knee) amputation rate. Between 2002 and 2012, the incidence of...
Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide by Richard W. Hughes with photographs by Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie Hughes. Order from author's website: www.lotusgemology.com. 384 pages; 2014; $99 plus shipping (hardbound).

As one peruses the bookshelves of their favorite section of any library or bookstore, including online, inevitably it is either a book's title or cover that catches the eye. What happens next great...
Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: The Current Status of Non-A, Non-B Viral Hepatitis

It is probable that two or more different viruses account for non-A, non-B hepatitis throughout the world, with a third agent causing epidemic hepatitis in India and neighboring countries. NANB virus(es) is the major cause of transfusion-associated hepatitis, and is responsible for roughly 20% of sporadic hepatitis cases. NANB postransfusion hepatitis progresses to chronic hepatitis in half or more of cases. This form of chronic hepatitis, while usually minimally symptomatic, causes progressive liver destruction and eventual cirrhosis in a significant proportion of cases. To date, the NANB virus(es) has not been specifically identified, either serologically or by electron microscopy. When developed, serologic assays will find their most immediate application in the identification of NANB virus carriers among blood donors, thereby being applied to the prevention of post-transfusion hepatitis. No specific therapy is available for NANB virus infection. Gamma globulin is of uncertain prophylactic efficacy.
Efficiency of the bone scan for occult limping toddlers

Fifty consecutive occult limping toddlers were prospectively evaluated by acute triphase 99mTc MDP scintigraphy (TTS) at Arkansas Children's Hospital from 1984 through 1989. Only patients with a limp that could not be diagnosed by an orthopaedist were included. TTS proved essential in localizing the lesion in 27 patients (54%). With only two false negatives and one false positive, this test was shown to be highly sensitive, specific, efficient, and predictive, especially as compared with temperature, white blood cell (WBC) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and plain radiography. Because no infections were missed by TTS, patients with a normal TTS could be safely observed as outpatients, saving thousands of health care dollars in this small series.
Bioactivity of Liriope muscari (Liliaceae) extracts to corn earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Artificial diets fortified with varying concentrations of Liriope muscari Bailey foliage and fed to corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), caused symptoms similar to those induced by consumption of the nonprotein amino acid L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid. A concentration as low as 5% (wt/vol) foliage in the diet significantly affected larval growth and development; effects were more severe in larvae reared on higher concentrations. Incorportion of foliage into the larval diet adversely affected larval survival and weight gain, number of days to pupation, percentage of normal pupation, number of days to emergence, percentage of adult emergence, rate of adult deformity, fecundity, and fertility.
Commentary on: Validation of the Turkish Version of the Breast Reduction Assessed Severity Scale

In this article, Dr Kecici and coauthors have taken a previously published patient-reported outcomes (PRO) measure, translated it into Turkish, and tested its validity in a cohort of women presenting with breast hypertrophy. They have described the methodology of translation in excellent detail and performed high-quality statistical analysis of the validity of the questionnaire in a group of Turkish women with symptoms related to large breasts. I fully agree with the authors' comments about the benefits of PRO measures, and we will undoubtedly continue to see an increase in the development, use, and validation of PRO measures across a diverse set of health conditions. Many research studies have used these measures as an important dimension of analysis. A growing number of clinicians are finding them to be useful at the bedside for individual patient evaluation and for tracking changes over time.1 It has been difficult in the past to quantify the benefits of many interventions such as breast reduction, but with these new …
Analysis of diagnostic accordance rate of syphilis in Quzhou,Zhejiang province

Objective:To assess the current situation and quality of syphilis in Quzhou city and provide scientific basis for further improvement of the report system of syphilis in medical institutions.Methods: The experimental results of syphilis cases were checked according to the health industry standard.Results: A total of 507 cases of syphilis were reported,of which 306 cases were accordant with the health industry standard with the accordance rate of 60.36%.The lowest diagnostic accordance rates were observed in recessive syphilis cases.The main reason for the disaccord was that RPR/TRUST was not done or the detection results were negative and the proportion was 61.19%.The secondary reason was that TPPA was not done or the detection results were negative,accounting for 37.71%.Conclusion: The diagnosis accordance rate of syphilis was too low.Therefore,it is vital to improve the training on the diagnosis and report of infectious diseases for the clinicians in medical institutions.
Therapeutic RNAi robed with ionic liquid moieties as a simple, scalable prodrug platform for treating skin disease

The high prevalence of skin diseases and their visible symptoms result in major physical, emotional, and economic burden for which few solutions exist. To address this unmet medical need, topical delivery of RNAi such as siRNA holds many advantages including direct access to the diseased site, potent knockdown of disease symptoms, and limited off-target effects. Unfortunately, delivering drugs into skin is extremely difficult. To address these concerns, we present RNAi robed with ionic liquid moieties. Specifically, we show that robed-siRNAs can be synthesized by a simple two-step process from bulk materials. Robing affords tuneability of properties necessary for dermal drug delivery including octanol-water partitioning, skin transport, and cell internalization. The efficacy and safety of robed-siRNA for treating skin disease was confirmed by its ability to limit breakdown of elastin, a major cause of premature aging, following UVB exposure to human reconstructed skin tissue. Together, the data strongly support that therapeutic RNAi robed with ionic liquid moieties are a simple, scalable prodrug platform for treating skin disease.
RATINGS: IT'S ACCRUAL WORLD

Loss reserves are a discretionary tool for managing insurer earnings, with more accurate and/or less volatile reserve errors resulting in higher accruals quality. We investigate whether accruals quality is related to insurer financial strength ratings. Specifically, we use insurer loss reserve errors as a measure of the quality of accruals and examine whether overall accruals quality, as well as a decomposition into innate and discretionary accruals quality, is related to insurer financial strength ratings. We find that firms with lower-quality (noisier) accruals receive lower financial strength ratings from A.M. Best. This result holds for both innate and discretionary accruals. Overall, we provide the first evidence that the quality of accounting information is a significant factor in ratings of insurance firms.
Spatially multiplexed bioparticle detection using multimode interference

On-chip fluorescence multiplexed detection of bioparticles is achieved by using a single multi-mode interference waveguide and a single wavelength light source to create different number of spots on three liquid-core waveguides in an optofluidic platform.
Cross-Commodity Delay Discounting of Alcohol and Money in Alcohol Users

Despite real-world implications, the pattern of delay discounting in alcohol users when the commodities now and later differ has not been well characterized. In this study, 60 participants on Amazon's Mechanical Turk completed the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess severity of use and completed four delay discounting tasks between hypothetical, equivalent amounts of alcohol and money available at five delays. The tasks included two cross-commodity (alcohol now-money later and money now-alcohol later) and two same-commodity (money now-money later and alcohol now-alcohol later) conditions. Delay discounting was significantly associated with clinical cutoffs of the AUDIT for both of the cross-commodity conditions but not for either of the same-commodity delay discounting tasks. The cross-commodity discounting conditions were related to severity of use wherein heavy users discounted future alcohol less and future money more. The change in direction of the discounting effect was dependent on the commodity that was distally available suggesting a distinctive pattern of discounting across commodities when comparing light and heavy alcohol users.
Fetal alcohol exposure reduces responsiveness of taste nerves and trigeminal chemosensory neurons to ethanol and its flavor components

Pregnant mothers are advised to avoid alcohol. This is because even small amounts of alcohol can alter fetal brain development and increase the risk of adolescent alcohol abuse. We asked how fetal ...
Organization & Cultural Impact of Microservices Architecture

Microservices Architecture encompasses more than the decomposition of applications. If the organization and cultural impact is not addressed initially, and continually, the output of a Microservices architecture will never match the desired goal. In this paper, we walk through the key concepts of Conway’s Law, Bezo’s Rule, and other foundational principles of culture and structure. Addressed are key factors in an effective Microservices culture including group size, motivation, relationships and how they impact the development and goals of Microservices.
Modified Controlled Encircling Scleral Buckle for Retinal Detachment

During encircling scleral buckle placement, the ends of the element are tightened to achieve a shortened radius of the eye. The determining factor of the final buckle height is subjective using usually a combination of the buckle height visualized with the degree of scleral indentation and can be difficult to be taught early on to trainees. Here, we describe a case series in which a modified controlled encircling scleral buckle technique that simplifies and standardizes the achievement of reproducible buckle height of about a 1 mm is objective and easy to be taught. This novel encircling scleral buckling technique successfully achieves a good postoperative scleral buckle height in a reproducible and standardized fashion using objective measurements and it is easier to be taught to trainees.
Insights from Behavioral Economics Can Improve Administration of the EITC

The IRS is a non-traditional but key player in delivering social benefits to the nation’s working poor. In fact, it administers one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty programs: the earned income tax credit (EITC). The EITC is generally praised for its role in reducing poverty and incentivizing low-wage work. While the credit has bipartisan support, the IRS continues to face strong criticism over EITC compliance issues. The IRS has generally focused on tax return characteristics in identifying and preventing erroneous EITC claims. We believe that adding an additional focus on taxpayer characteristics may offer new opportunities to improve EITC compliance (and perhaps other areas where there is systemic noncompliance). To supplement existing approaches and build on insights that derive from a taxpayer rather than tax return-centric model of compliance, we argue that the IRS should draw from insights from the field of cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology research, often grounded in insights associated with research in behavioral economics, suggests that by increasing psychological costs and the perceived likelihood of detection, people may be more truthful. We offer specific proposals for further exploration. We note that the approach has potential application in other areas of the tax law, but focus on the EITC because of its broad importance as a matter of national policy, the longstanding and persistent criticism of stubbornly high EITC error rates and the limitations of the IRS’s current approach addressing EITC compliance.
Christine de Pizan's The Book of the City of Ladies as reclamatory fan work

In what ways can medieval texts be looked at as fan works? How might the rhetorical tools of fan studies or affect theory aid in further understanding of these texts? Likewise, can we use medieval understandings of literary production to look at modern fan works in order to complicate our contemporary ideas of authorship? Here I consider how Christine de Pizan's The Book of the City of Ladies ( Le Livre de la Cite des Dames ) can be read as a reclamatory fan work addressing issues of representation and gender within both the texts it responds to and the larger culture within which the work is situated. Moreover, contextualizing de Pizan's work as fan work can help fan scholars by locating fan studies within a broader literary history. By reframing these earlier works of literature as part of a longer history of women's writing that also involves the works being done today within modalities of fan writing, and by reconsidering fan works as part of a historical continuum of women's writing, we, much as de Pizan herself did, create a theoretical space that historicizes, contextualizes, and indeed valorizes women writers of both fannish and nonfannish works.
CRISPR Transcriptional Activation Analysis Unmasks an Occult γ-Secretase Processivity Defect in Familial Alzheimer’s Disease Skin Fibroblasts

Summary Mutations in presenilin ( PSEN ) 1 and 2, which encode components of the γ-secretase (GS) complex, cause familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). It is hypothesized that altered GS-mediated processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to the Aβ42 fragment, which is accumulated in diseased brain, may be pathogenic. Here, we describe an in vitro model system that enables the facile analysis of neuronal disease mechanisms in non-neuronal patient cells using CRISPR gene activation of endogenous disease-relevant genes. In FAD patient-derived fibroblast cultures, CRISPR activation of APP or BACE unmasked an occult processivity defect in downstream GS-mediated carboxypeptidase cleavage of APP, ultimately leading to higher Aβ42 levels. These data suggest that, selectively in neurons, relatively high levels of BACE1 activity lead to substrate pressure on FAD-mutant GS complexes, promoting CNS Aβ42 accumulation. Our results introduce an additional platform for analysis of neurological disease.