cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of differentially expressed genes and pathways in mice exposed to mixed field neutron/photon radiation

Radiation exposure due to the detonation of an improvised nuclear device remains a major security concern. Radiation from such a device involves a combination of photons and neutrons. Although photons will make the greater contribution to the total dose, neutrons will certainly have an impact on the severity of the exposure as they have high relative biological effectiveness. We investigated the gene expression signatures in the blood of mice exposed to 3 Gy x-rays, 0.75 Gy of neutrons, or to mixed field photon/neutron with the neutron fraction contributing 5, 15%, or 25% of a total 3 Gy radiation dose. Gene ontology and pathway analysis revealed that genes involved in protein ubiquitination pathways were significantly overrepresented in all radiation doses and qualities. On the other hand, eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (EIF2) signaling pathway was identified as one of the top 10 ranked canonical pathways in neutron, but not pure x-ray, exposures. In addition, the related mTOR and regulation of EIF4/p70S6K pathways were also significantly underrepresented in the exposures with a neutron component, but not in x-ray radiation. The majority of the changed genes in these pathways belonged to the ribosome biogenesis and translation machinery and included several translation initiation factors (e.g. Eif2ak4, Eif3f), as well as 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits (e.g. Rsp19, Rpl19, Rpl27). Many of the differentially downregulated ribosomal genes (e.g. RPS19, RPS28) have been causally associated with human bone marrow failure syndromes and hematologic malignancies. We also observed downregulation of transfer RNA processes, in the neutron-only exposure (p < 0.005). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (p < 0.05) of differentially expressed genes predicted significantly suppressed activity of the upstream regulators c-Myc and Mycn, transcription factors known to control ribosome biogenesis. We describe the gene expression profile of mouse blood following exposure to mixed field neutron/photon irradiation. We have discovered that pathways related to protein translation are significantly underrepresented in the exposures containing a neutron component. Our results highlight the significance of neutron exposures that even the smallest percentage can have profound biological effects that will affect medical management and treatment decisions in case of a radiological emergency.
Predictive Utility of Lung Allocation Score for Retransplantation Outcomes

Background Treatment of primary graft failure after lung transplantation (LTx) may include retransplantation (rLTx). The number of rLTx cases has doubled since implementation of the Lung Allocation Score in 2005. The Lung Allocation Score was intended to predict LTx outcomes, but its predictive utility has not been assessed in rLTx. We investigated whether 1-year outcomes of LTx and rLTX were equally well predicted by the Lung Allocation Score. Methods Recipients of LTx and rLTx aged 18 years or more were identified in 2005 to 2015 United Network for Organ Sharing data. The Lung Allocation Score was entered in multivariable logistic regression models of 1-year retransplant-free survival. Areas under the receiver-operating characteristics curve summarized model predictive value. We examined whether the Lung Allocation Score and its components were differentially associated with outcomes of LTx and rLTx. Results There were 16,837 LTx and 765 rLTx cases meeting inclusion criteria. Crude 1-year retransplant-free survival rates were 86% after LTx compared with 74% after rLTx. On univariate analysis, both LTx and rLTx cohorts showed poor predictive utility of the Lung Allocation Score (area under the curve 0.55 and 0.57, respectively; difference by transplant type, p = 0.307). Neither the Lung Allocation Score nor its components was differentially associated with LTx compared with rLTx outcomes. Conclusions The Lung Allocation Score achieved comparable, but poor, predictive utility for 1-year outcomes of primary LTx and rLTx. We found no evidence that Lung Allocation Score components should be weighted differently for rLTx candidates.
Peak tailing in electrophoresis due to alteration of the wall charge by adsorbed analytes a: Numerical simulations and asymptotic theory

When analytes containing cationic components, such as proteins, are separated in fused silica capillaries or micro-chips, they adsorb strongly to the negatively charged channel walls. Broadened and highly asymmetric peaks in the detector signal is symptomatic of the presence of such wall interactions. Band broadening is caused by the introduction of shear into the electroosmotic flow which leads to Taylor dispersion. The shearing flow in turn is caused by axial variations in zeta-potential due to adsorbed analytes. In this paper, numerical solutions of the coupled electro-hydrodynamic equations for fluid flow and the advection-diffusion equation for analyte concentration are presented in the limit of thin Debye layers. The simulations reproduce many of the qualitative effects of wall adsorption familiar from observation. Further, the simulation results are compared, and found to agree very well (to within a percent for characteristic values of the parameters) with a recently developed asymptotic theory.
Platelet-Activating Factor in Brain: Its Metabolism, Roles, and Involvement in Neurological Disorders

Platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a potent biologically active mediator that is involved in intracellular and extracellular communication. PAF belongs to a family of biologically active and structurally related alkyl phospholipids produced by neural and non-neural cells (neural cells, macrophages, platelets, endothelial cells, mast cells, and neutrophils). PAF not only induces platelet aggregation, but also enhances histamine and serotonin release resulting in vasodilation and enhancement in vascular permeability, increase in eosinophil and neutrophil motility, and degranulation producing edema, hyperemia, itching, and pain (Farooqui et al., 2008).
The Seismicity of ‘Stable Continental Interiors’

In terms of seismic moment or seismic strain release, the deep ocean basins and the ancient cores—the Stable continental interiors’—of the continents are the deadest places on earth. Averaged over the past 200 years, stable continental crust has generated only ~0.3% of the earth’s annual seismic moment release. This translates into ~600 plate boundary events of M w ≥ 6.0 for every one that occurs in stable continental crust. Moreover, in the last 200 years the largest earthquakes to occur in the stable interiors or at the passive continental margins have been the 1819 Kutch, India, event and the 1812 (Feb 7) New Madrid, North America, event. With estimated seismic moments in the range of M0 = 0.7–2.5×1028 dyne-cm, these are great earthquakes (M w =7.S-8.2) yet their moments are nearly two orders of magnitude less than those of maximum plate margin events. Virtually all of the largest stable continental earthquakes (M w ≥ 7.0) occur in crust that has been stretched and extended in a rifting process that leads to either failed rifts imbedded in the continents or to passive margin formation, whereas the largest plate margin events occur in convergent tectonic settings. These are just a few of a number of the fundamental seismological differences between stable continental interiors and plate boundaries that are explored and quantified in this paper.
Tetrahydrobenzochromene Synthesis Enabled by a Deconjugative Alkylation/Tsuji-Saegusa-Ito Oxidation on Knoevenagel Adducts

A modular and practical route to versatile cyano-1,3-dienes by a sequence involving deconjugative alkylation and "Tsuji-Saegusa-Ito oxidation" is reported. In this letter, the versatility of the products is also explored, including a route to benzochromene scaffolds common to many natural products.
Wild Canid Distribution and Co-existence in a Natural–Urban Matrix of the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts

Although development and urbanization are typically believed to have negative impacts on carnivoran species, some species can successfully navigate an urban matrix. Sympatric carnivorans compete for limited resources in urban areas, likely with system-specific impacts to their distributions and activity patterns. We used automatically triggered wildlife cameras to assess the local distribution and co-existence of Canis latrans (Coyote), Vulpes vulpes (Red Fox), and Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Gray Fox) across the Pioneer Valley, MA, in relation to different levels of human development. We placed cameras at 79 locations in forested, altered, and urban land-use areas from September to November 2012 and accumulated 1670 trap nights. We determined site characteristics and detection rates for 12 other wildlife species for each camera location to develop a generalized linear model for the local distribution of each focal canid species across the study area. We also compared diel activity patterns among Coyotes, Red Foxes, and Gray Foxes, and calculated coefficients of overlap between each pair. The local distribution of Coyotes was positively associated with the detection rates of their prey and not associated with detection rates of sympatric carnivoran species. Red Foxes and Gray Foxes had negative relationships with the detection rate of Coyotes, and none of the 3 canid species showed a positive correlation with increased levels of urbanization. There was a high degree of temporal overlap in diel activity patterns and limited spatial overlap of our focal species, which suggests that any competition avoidance across our study area occurred at the spatial level. Coyotes fill the role of top predator in the Pioneer Valley, and likely have a negative impact on the local distributions of smaller canids, while their own local distributions seem to be driven by prey availability.
Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP): A powerful mass spectrometry–based structural proteomics tool

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) is a MS-based method that has proved useful in studies of protein structures, interactions, conformations, and protein folding. The success of this method relies on the irreversible labeling of solvent-exposed amino acid side chains by hydroxyl radicals. FPOP generates these radicals through laser-induced photolysis of hydrogen peroxide. The data obtained provide residue-level resolution of protein structures and interactions on the microsecond timescale, enabling investigations of fast processes such as protein folding and weak protein–protein interactions. An extensive comparison between FPOP and other footprinting techniques gives insight on their complementarity as well as the robustness of FPOP to provide unique structural information once unattainable. The versatility of this method is evidenced by both the heterogeneity of samples that can be analyzed by FPOP and the myriad of applications for which the method has been successfully used: from proteins of varying size to intact cells. This review discusses the wide applications of this technique and highlights its high potential. Applications including, but not limited to, protein folding, membrane proteins, structure elucidation, and epitope mapping are showcased. Furthermore, the use of FPOP has been extended to probing proteins in cells and in vivo. These promising developments are also presented herein.
Efficient Large-Scale Neural Domain Classification with Personalized Attention

In this paper, we explore the task of mapping spoken language utterances to one of thousands of natural language understanding domains in intelligent personal digital assistants (IPDAs). This scenario is observed in mainstream IPDAs in industry that allow third parties to develop thousands of new domains to augment built-in first party domains to rapidly increase domain coverage and overall IPDA capabilities. We propose a scalable neural model architecture with a shared encoder, a novel attention mechanism that incorporates personalization information and domain-specific classifiers that solves the problem efficiently. Our architecture is designed to efficiently accommodate incremental domain additions achieving two orders of magnitude speed up compared to full model retraining. We consider the practical constraints of real-time production systems, and design to minimize memory footprint and runtime latency. We demonstrate that incorporating personalization significantly improves domain classification accuracy in a setting with thousands of overlapping domains.
Redesigning Corporate Responsibility How Digitalization Changes the Role Companies Need to Play for Positive Impacts on Society

Increasing connectivity and digitalization have made significant changes on the daily lives of billions of people around the world. Given the increasing speed and increasing complexity of technological progress, the not-so-far future will show even greater changes through Digitalization, leading to opportunities, but also challenges for societies. For a long time, companies have managed their responsibility to society and environment through Corporate Social Responsibility programs—not always at highest strategic importance. Digitalization creates a chance for companies to rethink their corporate responsibility and take different approaches, even capitalizing on some of the business opportunities resulting from these challenges. Digitalization, however, does not only create an opportunity, but also a responsibility for companies to fill gaps that education and regulation cannot and should not fill anymore. Companies should treat this Corporate Digital Responsibility with the highest strategic priority, helping to create positive futures not only for their business, but also for the societies they are part of.
Pharmacotherapy for Pediatric Convulsive Status Epilepticus.

Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is one of the most common pediatric neurological emergencies. Ongoing seizure activity is a dynamic process and may be associated with progressive impairment of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated inhibition due to rapid internalization of GABAA receptors. Further hyperexcitability may be caused by AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) and NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartic acid) receptors moving from subsynaptic sites to the synaptic membrane. Receptor trafficking during prolonged seizures may contribute to difficulties treating seizures of longer duration and may provide some of the pathophysiological underpinnings of established and refractory SE (RSE). Simultaneously, a practice change toward more rapid initiation of first-line benzodiazepine (BZD) treatment and faster escalation to second-line non-BZD treatment for established SE is in progress. Early administration of the recommended BZD dose is suggested. For second-line treatment, non-BZD anti-seizure medications (ASMs) include valproate, fosphenytoin, or levetiracetam, among others, and at this point there is no clear evidence that any one of these options is better than the others. If seizures continue after second-line ASMs, RSE is manifested. RSE treatment consists of bolus doses and titration of continuous infusions under continuous electro-encephalography (EEG) guidance until electrographic seizure cessation or burst-suppression. Ultimately, etiological workup and related treatment of CSE, including broad spectrum immunotherapies as clinically indicated, is crucial. A potential therapeutic approach for future studies may entail consideration of interventions that may accelerate diagnosis and treatment of SE, as well as rational and early polytherapy based on synergism between ASMs by utilizing medications targeting different mechanisms of epileptogenesis and epileptogenicity.
Impact of flow disruptions in the delivery room

Abstract Aim Flow disruptions (FDs) are deviations from the progression of care that compromise safety and efficiency of a specific process. The study aim was to identify the impact of FDs during neonatal resuscitation and determine their association with key process and outcome measures. Methods Prospective observational study of video recorded delivery room resuscitations of neonates Results Between 10/2017–7/2018, 32 videos were included. A mean of 52.6 FDs (standard deviation 17.9) occurred per resuscitation. Extraneous FDs were the most common FDs. FDs were associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80–1.05) of achieving target saturation at 5 min and 0.94 (95% CI 0.84–1.05) at 10 min. There was no significant evidence to show FDs were associated with time to event outcomes. Conclusions FDs occurred frequently during neonatal resuscitation. Measuring FDs is a feasible method to assess the impact of human factors in the delivery room and identify modifiable factors and practices to improve patient care.
The intersection of ISDS and TRIPS flexibilities

This chapter evaluates the extent to which TRIPS flexibilities are compromised by investor-state disputes regarding IP norms that are covered by TRIPS. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of IP norms under TRIPS, as well as TRIPS flexibilities and explains how ISDS poses a threat to TRIPS. Then the chapter analyzes the known investment disputes challenging IP norms to assess the significance of the ISDS threat to TRIPS flexibilities, including challenges by Philip Morris to tobacco labeling that restricts trademarks, Eli Lilly’s challenge to Canadian patent laws and several more recent disputes.
Esmolol reduces myocardial injury induced by resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in a porcine model of hemorrhagic shock

Abstract Purpose Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) causes myocardial injury from increased aortic afterload and supraphysiologic cardiac output. However, pharmacologic methods to attenuate high cardiac output and reduce myocardial injury have not been explored. We hypothesized that the use of esmolol during REBOA would reduce myocardial injury. Methods Ten pigs were anesthetized and instrumented. Following 25% total blood volume hemorrhage, animals underwent 45 minutes of supraceliac (zone 1) REBOA with or without titration of esmolol to maintain heart rate between 80-100 beats per minute. Following the REBOA interventions, animals underwent 275 minutes of standardized critical care. Results During REBOA, heart rate was significantly lower in the esmolol group compared to control animals (100 [88 - 112] vs 193 [172 - 203] beats/minute, respectively, p 3 - 3 ] and 0 [0 – 0], p = 0.009, respectively). Conclusion In our porcine model of hemorrhagic shock, zone 1 REBOA was associated with myocardial injury. Pharmacologic heart rate titration with esmolol during occlusion may mitigate the deleterious effects of REBOA on the heart.
Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in the illicit stimulant supply: Results from U.S. drug seizure data, 2011-2016.

Abstract Background U.S. research examining the illicit drug supply remains rare even though the information could help reduce overdoses. Relatively little is known regarding how often opioids are found in stimulants and whether temporal and geographic trends exist. We examined trends in fentanyl-cocaine and fentanyl-methamphetamine combinations in the national illicit drug supply. Methods We analysed serial cross-sectional data from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) collected between January 2011 and December 2016. We restricted the analysis to cocaine (N = 1,389,968) and methamphetamine (n = 1,407,474) samples and calculated proportions containing fentanyl (including 23 related analogs) over time. Results The combined presence of fentanyl and cocaine steadily increased nationally between 2012–2016 (p = 0.01), and the number of such samples tripled from 2015 to 2016 (n = 423 to n = 1,325). Similarly, the combined presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine increased 179 % from 2015 to 2016 (n = 82–n = 272). Patterns varied widely by state; in 2016, fentanyl-cocaine samples were most common in New Hampshire (7.2 %), Connecticut (5.4 %), Ohio (2.6 %) and Massachusetts (2.1 %), whereas fentanyl-methamphetamine samples were most often in New Hampshire (6.1 %), Massachusetts (5.6 %), Vermont (2.4 %) and Maine (1.2 %). Conclusions Although relatively uncommon, the presence of fentanyl in the stimulant supply increased significantly between 2011 and 2016, with the greatest increases occuring between 2015–2016; the presence of these products was concentrated in the U.S. Northeast. Given these trends, strengthening community-based drug checking programs and surveillance within the public health infrastructure could help promote timely responses to novel threats posed by rapid shifts in the drug supply that may lead to inadvertent exposures.
Sodium Intake and Heart Failure.

Sodium is an essential mineral and nutrient used in dietary practices across the world and is important to maintain proper blood volume and blood pressure. A high sodium diet is associated with increased expression of β—myosin heavy chain, decreased expression of α/β—myosin heavy chain, increased myocyte enhancer factor 2/nuclear factor of activated T cell transcriptional activity, and increased salt-inducible kinase 1 expression, which leads to alteration in myocardial mechanical performance. A high sodium diet is also associated with alterations in various proteins responsible for calcium homeostasis and myocardial contractility. Excessive sodium intake is associated with the development of a variety of comorbidities including hypertension, chronic kidney disease, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases. While the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Failure Society of America guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to both prevent and manage heart failure, the evidence behind such recommendations is unclear. Our review article highlights evidence and underlying mechanisms favoring and contradicting limiting sodium intake in heart failure.
Characterization of the immune response in calves vaccinated with novel Salmonella dublin vaccines

The purpose of this study is to characterize the humoral, cellular, and mucosal immune responses of dairy calves to a subunit vaccine of Salmonella dublin.
Calf coronavirus and rotavirus infections: An update:

Since the initial report of rotavirus causing diarrhea in human infants, the literature on rotavirus has become voluminous. Rotaviral infection has been recorded in many species: mouse, cattle, sheep, deer, pig, horse, monkey, prognhorn antelope, impala, Thomson’s gazelle, addax, rabbit, cat and dog.
Economics of growing poplar for the dual purpose of biorefinery feedstock and wastewater treatment

Abstract Poplar is recognized as an excellent biorefinery feedstock because of year-round availability and ease of fractionation. Further, poplar is commonly used to provide ecosystem services such as for riparian buffers or phytoremediation. While biofuels offer many environmental and socioeconomic benefits, commercial scale biorefineries are not prominent in the U.S. in part because of feedstock availability and cost. To reduce feedstock cost, we investigated incorporation of hybrid poplar grown to receive treated municipal wastewater into our supply curves, using a Western Washington location as a case study. We first developed supply curves for purpose-grown hybrid poplar feedstock, a likely biorefinery feedstock for the Pacific Northwest, to supply a biorefinery in Washington State. It was found that there was abundant land within 100 km to grow enough poplar to supply a larger scale biorefinery – as much as 800 Gg per year - and that the plant gate cost of the poplar biomass is in the range of $75 - $85 per Mg feedstock. Most of this land was pastureland, mitigating fuel vs. food concerns. We then incorporated wastewater treatment poplar into the supply curves. The amount of feedstock that could be grown to receive wastewater was limited; approximately 54 Gg per year. However, for a modest sized biorefinery (150 Gg poplar per year) the wastewater treatment poplar provided 36% of the feedstock and reduced the plant gate feedstock cost by 14%. Expanding the use of ecosystem services poplar would enable even large scale biorefineries to see substantial benefits from this lower cost feedstock.
Predicting Fusarium Head Blight Resistance for Advanced Trials in a Soft Red Winter Wheat Breeding Program With Genomic Selection.

Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of genomic selection (GS) using cross-validation within training populations; however, few have looked at its performance for forward prediction within a breeding program. The objectives for this study were to compare the performance of naive GS (NGS) models without covariates and multi-trait GS (MTGS) models by predicting two years of F4:7 advanced breeding lines for three Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance traits, deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation, Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK), and severity (SEV) in soft red winter wheat and comparing predictions with phenotypic performance over two years of selection based on selection accuracy and response to selection. On average, for DON, the NGS model correctly selected 69.2% of elite genotypes, while the MTGS model correctly selected 70.1% of elite genotypes compared with 33.0% based on phenotypic selection from the advanced generation. During the 2018 breeding cycle, GS models had the greatest response to selection for DON, FDK, and SEV compared with phenotypic selection. The MTGS model performed better than NGS during the 2019 breeding cycle for all three traits, whereas NGS outperformed MTGS during the 2018 breeding cycle for all traits except for SEV. Overall, GS models were comparable, if not better than phenotypic selection for FHB resistance traits. This is particularly helpful when adverse environmental conditions prohibit accurate phenotyping. This study also shows that MTGS models can be effective for forward prediction when there are strong correlations between traits of interest and covariates in both training and validation populations.
Optimization and feedback design of state-constrained parabolic systems

The paper is devoted to optimal control and feedback design of stateconstrained paraHolic systems in uncertainty conditions. Problems of this type are among the most challenging and difficult in dynamic optimization for any kind of dynamical sYstems. We pay the main attention to considering linear multidimensional parabolic' systems with Dirichlet boundary controls and pointwise state constraints, while the methods developed in this study are applicable to other kit;1ds of boundary controls and dynamical systems of the parabolic type. The feedback design problem is formulated in the minimax sense to ensure stabilization of transients within the prescribed diapason and robust stability of the closed-loop control system under all feasible perturbations with minimizing an integral cost functional in the worst perturbation case. Exploiting certain fundamental properties of the parabolic dynamics, we determine the worst perturbations in the minimax control problem and efficiently solve the associated optimal control problems for approximating ODE and the original PDE systems with pointwise state constraints: In this way, using the transient monotonicity and turnpike asymptotic properties of the underlying parabolic dynamics on the infinite horizon, we compute optimal (in the minimax sense) parameters of the easily implemented while rigorously justified three, positional suboptimal structure of the feedback boundary controls that ensure robust stability of the closed-loop and highly nonlinear parabolic control system uD.der consideration.
An analytical approach to the problems of phage recombination and reproduction: II. High negative interference

Abstract Experimental data on high negative interference (Chase and Doermann, 1958) are analyzed. On the basis of a model, the switch hypothesis, presented by Chase and Doermann (1958) , and some simplifying assumptions, a mathematical theory is developed which makes it possible to take high negative interference into account when analyzing crosses and related phenomena involving more than two closely linked genetic markers. Two parameters are involved in the theory: (1) the average length R of an area with high crossover frequency (switch area) and (2) the reciprocal value s of the mean number of crossovers per map unit in such areas. Their respective values in T4 are approximately R = 4 MU and s = 6 MU (MU = map unit). In the discussion of the theoretical aspects of high negative interference, it is shown that partial-replica models of a fairly general type can, at least qualitatively, account for the high negative interference phenomena described by Chase and Doermann (1958) . Moreover, it is shown that the partial-replica models predict various phenomena, such as: (1) induction of a switch area by infection with partial heterozygotes; (2) clonality of recombinants of a different type and with different characteristics than the one resulting from duplication of a recombined genome; (3) clonality of heterozygotes; (4) triparental high negative interference. The first phenomenon has been detected by Edgar (1957) . Clonality of recombinants of the type predicted is strongly suggested by the data published by Hershey and Rotman (1949) and by Epstein (1958) . The situation concerning the triparental high negative interference and the clonality of heterozygotes is not yet decided. In the Appendix, a mathematical treatment of the switch hypothesis is presented.
The clinical and pathologic features of puberty hemorrhage

Abstract Puberty bleeding clinically designates menorrhagia or metrorrhagia occurring early in menstrual life. These abnormalities are locally independent of inflammation, neoplasia and the pregnant state, as well as of the varied blood dyserasias. They are closely allied to the essential bleeding occurring at the menopause and clinically as well as pathologically both forms overlap. In this communication the puberty group is stressed. A review of 26 cases from the gynecologic services of the General Memorial and Long Island College Hospitals emphasizes the following characters of this disease. 1. 1. Primary menstrual anomalies: Both menorrhagia or metrorrhagia may set in as the initial epoch of sex life or supervene more slowly following oligomenorrhea, hypomenorrhea or other disorders of menstruation. 2. 2. Absence of abnormalities in the general physical examination: This is true in the great majority of cases; yet two in this series showed definite endocrine dyscrasia. Though only fourteen years of age, both of these girls were fully matured, with mammae well formed, the external genitalia fully developed, and the uterus large. The unusual height, 5 ft. 10 in, in one and 5 ft. 6 in, in the other were indicative of abnormal pituitary stimulation. 3. 3. Normal bleeding and clotting time. These tests were performed where secondary anemia was unduly severe and as a rule prior to transfusion. In six instances the findings were within the normal. 4. 4. Pelvic abnormalities: In all cases, the cervix was found unusually soft and patulous. In addition several were noted with enlarged uteri. In all the curettings were abundant and hyperplastic. 5. 5. Recurrence of symptoms after curettage was the rule where abrasion was performed as a therapeutic measure. 6. 6. Excellent therapeutic response, with control of symptoms by radium was universal, even though small quantities were employed. These features are well demonstrated in seven typical cases abstracted below.
Manual Annotation of Translational Equivalence: The Blinker Project

Bilingual annotators were paid to link roughly sixteen thousand corresponding words between on-line versions of the Bible in modern French and modern English. These annotations are freely available to the research community from this http URL . The annotations can be used for several purposes. First, they can be used as a standard data set for developing and testing translation lexicons and statistical translation models. Second, researchers in lexical semantics will be able to mine the annotations for insights about cross-linguistic lexicalization patterns. Third, the annotations can be used in research into certain recently proposed methods for monolingual word-sense disambiguation. This paper describes the annotated texts, the specially-designed annotation tool, and the strategies employed to increase the consistency of the annotations. The annotation process was repeated five times by different annotators. Inter-annotator agreement rates indicate that the annotations are reasonably reliable and that the method is easy to replicate.
Can Immigration Affect Age Composition When Fertility is Below Replacement

The effect of immigration on the age composition of a population when fertility is below replacement level has been studied in this paper. Using the Canadian example where the population in the working age group accounts for more than 2/3 of the population it has been shown that such an age composition is difficult to perpetuate over an extended period of time. Selective immigration may offer some advantage in the short run but the increase in old age dependency created by the process in the following years will render that strategy extremely inefficient in the long run. Thus a sustained pattern of immigration can only be helpful in preventing population decline or even its extinction when fertility continues to remain at below replacement level. The age composition of such a population is determined solely by its level of mortality and cannot be tampered with effectively by an immigration policy. That is to say the equivalence of the limiting age composition to its own stationary population is virtually assured when the size and age composition of the annual immigrants remain constant. (authors) (summaries in ENG FRE)
Interview judgments: Using external criteria to compare behavioral and graphic scale ratings

Abstract A study was conducted which examined the psychometric properties of interview ratings. The results of a project to develop behavioral rating scales for interviews were used to compose interview scripts of hypothetical candidates for the job of resident assistant in a college dormitory. Following Borman (1975) , the scaled values of behavioral examples served as the basis for external performance criteria, relative to which traditional rating errors were assessed. Audio recordings of five structured interviews were rated by 112 subjects randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a factorial design. Independent variables included type of scale with which ratings were made (behavioral or graphic) and training to avoid rating errors (received or not received). Results showed that behavioral scale ratings were significantly more accurate (relative to the external performance criteria), were less subject to halo and leniency errors, and exhibited greater interrater reliability than graphic scale ratings. No effect for training was found. The finding that behavioral scales were psychometrically superior to graphic scales when raters were inexperienced suggests the possibility that experienced interviewers may use behavioral scales to similar advantage.
Q-Switched, Intracavity Doubled Nd:Yag Laser Side-Pumped By A Laser Diode Array

An intracavity-doubled, Q-switched, Nd:YAG laser side pumped by a pulsed, 3-bar, laser-diode array, produced a second harmonic output of 1.75 mJ/pulse at an optical conversion efficiency of 11.5%. We demonstrated the use of this laser to pump a pulsed dye laser via an optical fiber.
Coccidioidomycosis Causing Osteomyelitis of the Hand in an Immunocompetent Patient

Coccidioidomycosis osteomyelitis is a rare entity considered even more rare when identified in the immunocompetent patient. In non-endemic areas, the diagnosis of a fungus-causing osteomyelitis is often delayed or overlooked. This results in delayed or inappropriate treatment. We present the case of a 35-year-old immunocompetent male immigrant from India who was ultimately diagnosed as having Coccidioidomycosis immitis osteomyelitis of his ring finger metacarpal. His initial surgery included drainage and bacterial cultures only. When he failed to improve, he presented for a second opinion. The patient’s origin and travel history coupled with the appearance of rapid bone destruction on plain radiographs prompted a second operation for tissue biopsy and culture for bacteria, fungus, and mycobacteria cultures. This case highlights the importance of a thorough clinical history in deriving an appropriate differential diagnosis prior to surgical intervention.
Analysis of Business Process Models in Enterprise Web Services

This article reports a series of process-based models for the development of e-business using enterprise software applications. Merging management technology in workflow systems is a critical step to provide service-oriented architecture and on-demand business. We propose a value-oriented process technique as a strategic alignment to improve investment value. Our framework focuses on the guidelines for traditional users to identify the structural conflicts in integrating Web services. A comparative study of workflow models for intra-and inter-organizational process control is presented. This article identifies the current progress in the adaptability in the design of process models coupled with structural changes of workflow views. The study provides a resource list of successful implementations for practitioners in organizational management. The research highlights the motivation of market facilitation, expert sharing and collaboration that enable commercial applications to support complex heterogeneous, autonomous and distributed information systems.
Mate Selection Preferences among African American College Students.

All cultures have rules regarding mate selection. Many societies encourage either homogamy or heterogamy. Homogamy refers to marriage between individuals with similar social and personal characteristics, whereas heterogamy refers to marriage between individuals with different social or personal characteristics. Although there is some freedom in mate selection in American society, the United States is still basically a society whose norms encourage homogamy. Some of the major factors that influence mate selection include socioeconomic status, race, age, and parental and peer pressures. The purpose of this article is to examine the attitudes and preferences of African American college students toward physical and social status related variables regarding dating and future mate selection. Several social status and attractiveness related variables, along with selected background variables (including gender), were analyzed to note relationship patterns. Of particular interest was the importance of skin color or skin tone and social status as mate selection preferences among African American college students. There may be vast differences between attitudes toward mate selection and actual behaviors when selecting mates for marriage. Attitudinal research on skin color and social status preferences as they relate to mate selection on African American populations is lacking.
Effective Mayoral Leadership in Council-Manager Cities: Reassessing the Facilitative Model

To understand the kind of leadership that the chief elected official in a councilmanager government can provide requires rethinking standard assumptions and models. Americans are accustomed to looking for strong executives in Washington and state capitols, who put their own stamp on government; many presume that mayors are supposed to do the same thing. This approach is common in scholarly thinking as well. The common presumption in the political science literature is that mayoral leadership is dependent on the acquisition of power and its skillful use. The innovator or entrepreneur, as the prototypical type of mayoral leadership is labeled in this model, is adept at pyramiding power to overcome the checks on the mayor’s authority in a governmental form based on separation of powers. These standard assumptions overlook a fundamental characteristic of the council-manager form of government: it does not have separation of powers. It is based on a unitary model of governmental organization: all authority is lodged in the legislative body that delegates authority to a city manager selected by and accountable to the city council. There are two important features of council-manager government that have an impact on mayoral leadership. First, the mayor and council are “constitutionally” checking and balancing each other; they are part of a governing body. Second, the mayor does not execute or directly promote the accomplishment of tasks. Thus the mayor can and should exert a different kind leadership. The mayor leads by empowering others—in particular, the council and the manager—rather than seeking power for himself or herself, and the mayor accomplishes objectives through enhancing the performance of others. 1 The characteristics of council-manager government both permit and require another kind of leadership on the part of the chief This article is adapted from a chapter in George Frederickson and John Nalbandian (eds.), The Future of Local Government Administration: The Hansell Symposium (Washington, D.C.: International City and County Management Association, 2002), which includes a collection of articles on the current conditions and future development of government in cities, counties, and regions.
Glaucoma and systemic diseases

Glaucoma management may be extremely challenging, especially in elderly patients who have a variety of systemic diseases and take multiple medications. We obtained a comprehensive medical history in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma to determine which systemic diseases are most prevalent and which systemic medications are most commonly used. We have also reviewed the literature that addresses how these concomitant diseases and medical treatments influence the management of glaucoma. Knowledge of systemic diseases and potential drug interactions, especially between various systemic and glaucoma medications, is important for the safe management of glaucoma patients.
Serum retinoic acid levels in patients with resected benign and malignant colonic neoplasias on β‐carotene supplementation

Abstract To determine whether patients with colon cancer metabolize β‐carotene differently from benign colon polyp patients, a normal control group (n = 13) and groups of resected colon polyp patients (n = 29) or resected colon cancer patients (Dukes A and BI, n = 21) were supplemented with placebo or β‐carotene (30 mglday) taken with their morning meals for three months. Serum samples at zero and three months of the study were anlayzed blindly for retinoic acid and β‐carotene. The results showed that β‐carotene levels in the serum of colon polyp and colon cancer groups were 8‐ to 12‐fold higher than in the untreated control or the placebo‐treated groups. The benign polyp subjects (n = 17) receiving β‐carotene showed a significant rise in serum trans‐retinoic acid at three months compared with Time 0. The trans‐retinoic acid values from the colon cancer group receiving β‐carotene (n = 11) or placebo (n = 10) were significantly lower than the values from the β‐carotene‐supplemented colon polyp group. It ap...
Retroperitoneal fibrosis secondary to metastatic neoplasm

Retroperitoneal fibrosis may occur secondary to metastatic neoplasm and may simulate the features of the idiopathic variety. A case of retroperitoneal fibrosis due to gastric carcinoma is presented and the historical, physical, cystoscopic, urographic, operative, and pathologic similarities to the idiopathic form discussed. Generous biopsy of retroperitoneal plaques and careful pathologic examination are stressed to avoid missing malignant disease.
Signal-Dependent Translocation of Transducin, RGS9-1-Gβ5L Complex, and Arrestin to Detergent-Resistant Membrane Rafts in Photoreceptors

Abstract Many lines of evidence show that membranes contain microdomains, "lipid rafts", that are different from the rest of the membrane in specific lipid and protein composition [1]. In several biological systems, they were shown to be necessary for trafficking and signal transduction. Here, we investigate if lipid rafts have a role in the regulation of the G protein-mediated pathway underlying vertebrate phototransduction. Photoreceptor membranes contain detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) rafts. Rhodopsin and cGMP phosphodiesterase are found in raft and nonraft portions of the membrane; guanylate cyclase is found exclusively in the raft. Distribution of these proteins does not change in the light or dark. In contrast, the G protein transducin, the RGS9-1-Gβ5L complex, and the p44 isoform of arrestin undergo dramatic translocation to the raft upon illumination. Phosphorylation of RGS9-1 occurs exclusively in the raft. GTPγS or pertussis toxin prevent the light-mediated translocation of transducin and RGS9-1, whereas AlF − 4 causes both proteins to move to the raft in the dark. This shows that the Gαt-RGS9-1-Gβ5L complex has the highest affinity to rafts in the transition state of the GTPase. GTPγS binds to transducin at a significantly slower rate in the raft, indicating that this translocation results in a reduced rhodopsin-transducin coupling. Thus, an external signal can rearrange components of a G protein pathway in specific domains of the cell membrane, changing its signaling properties. These findings could reveal a novel mechanism utilized by the cells for regulation of G protein-mediated signal transduction.
Integrating prior knowledge in multiple testing under dependence with applications to detecting differential DNA methylation.

DNA methylation has emerged as an important hallmark of epigenetics. Numerous platforms including tiling arrays and next generation sequencing, and experimental protocols are available for profiling DNA methylation. Similar to other tiling array data, DNA methylation data shares the characteristics of inherent correlation structure among nearby probes. However, unlike gene expression or protein DNA binding data, the varying CpG density which gives rise to CpG island, shore and shelf definition provides exogenous information in detecting differential methylation. This paper aims to introduce a robust testing and probe ranking procedure based on a non-homogeneous hidden Markov model that incorporates the above-mentioned features for detecting differential methylation. We revisit the seminal work of Sun and Cai (2009, J. R. Stat. Soc. B. 71, 393-424) and propose modeling the non-null using a non-parametric symmetric distribution in two-sided hypothesis testing. We show that this model improves probe ranking and is robust to model misspecification based on extensive simulation studies. We further illustrate that our proposed framework achieves good operating characteristics as compared to commonly used methods in real DNA methylation data that aims to detect differential methylation sites.
Using Imagination and Personalized Suggestion to Change People

The power of suggestion to change what people say and do is well known. We review some past findings and describe a new method for influencing people's recollection of the past. This method, which we call the Expert Personalized Suggestion Paradigm (EPS), relies on expertise and personalization to achieve more influence than has been shown in many previous studies of suggestibility. A short session involving this powerful form of suggestion can influence the autobiography of individuals. These findings provide a cautionary message regarding casual interpretation of client data, and may inspire the development of new techniques for changing clients in positive ways.