cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
876 METABOLISM OF PANTETHINE IN NEPHROPATHIC CYSTINOSIS

Previous in vitro studies with cystinotic fibroblasts have shown D-pantethine to be as effective as cysteamine in decreasing intracellular cystine. We studied the in vivo metabolism and efficacy of oral pantethine (70-1000 mg/kg/day) in three cystinotic children. WBC cystine, plasma cysteamine, plasma and urinary pantothenate, and total urinary sulfur were measured. No pantethine was detected in plasma or urine, but plasma pantothenate was elevated to over 200 times normal. After a single 60 mg/kg dose, an open two compartment model gave rate constants of 0.025/hr for elimination and 1.2/hr for distribution of pantothenate. At optimal pantethine doses, plasma cysteamine levels (ca. 50 nmol/ml) were comparable to those after cysteamine treatment. However, maximal WBC cystine depletion on pantethine was only 60-80%, whereas cysteamine produces over 90% depletion. Pantethine absorption was estimated by pantothenate and sulfur excretion. Only 3-12% of the dose was excreted as pantothenate. At 250 mg/kg/day, ca. 50% of the administered sulfur was excreted. At higher doses, no significant increase in sulfur excretion occurred. An osmotic diarrhea occurred at doses above 350mg/kg/day. Pantethine, pantothenate, and cysteamine were the major osmotic agents. Excess pantethine (10-fold over pantetheine) inhibited pantetheinase from an intestinal biopsy by 30%. Dosing t.i.d. with meals vs q6h increased adsorption and WBC cystine depletion at 250 mg/kg/day. Limited intestinal hydrolysis and absorption of pantethine limit its usefulness in cystinosis.
Patient education services as oppressor

The education provided to women patients has been used historically to deliver messages of social and medical control. I suggest ethical standards of practice to tilt the balance toward use of education to serve women's perceived needs. Specific steps include standards and guidelines that specifically address appropriate gender differences in educational messages, regular elicitation from women of educational needs and satisfaction with educational services, and research that specifically tests the impact of patient education services on women and on men. More broadly, patient education must be legitimated as an essential service for which providers and institutions are accountable, and the predominately nonphysician providers who deliver it must be empowered to challenge current practice. Current work on health care as a gendered system suggests that patient education practice can rid itself of only some of the gender bias that exists.
Student interpreters show encoding and recall differences for information in English and American Sign Language

This study investigated whether student interpreters encode and recall words differently in signed and spoken languages. Participants viewed and then recalled word lists, half of which were related through specific encoding strategies (i.e., experimental lists), and half of which lacked the availability of those strategies (i.e., control lists). Total words recalled and the temporal recall order were compared across experimental and control lists. Student interpreters utilised different strategies to remember words in English and American Sign Language (ASL), suggesting that student interpreters do not default to first-language (English) spoken strategies when encoding second-language (ASL) signed lists. However, the total number of recalled words was lower in ASL than in English despite students' use of encoding strategies in ASL that have been shown to be adaptive to signed languages. These findings underscore the need to provide memory training to student interpreters in order to improve recall ability as part of interpreter education.
Recovery from Heat Shock in Heat-Tolerant and Nontolerant Variants of Creeping Bentgrass

Recovery from the heat-shock response was tested in heat-tolerant (selected bentgrass [SB]) and nontolerant (nonselected bentgrass [NSB]) variants of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) SB increased incorporation of radioactive amino acids into protein 2 h earlier than NSB when leaf blades were incubated at the recovery temperature following heat shock. Electrophoresis indicated that heat-shock protein (HSP) synthesis decreased and normal protein synthesis increased at 4 h in SB and at 6 to 8 h in NSB. Increased synthesis of normal proteins was not due to increased abundance of normal mRNAs, which were equivalent in SB and NSB at 4 h. But at 4 h, more of the normal mRNA population was associated with polysomes in SB than in NSB. Synthesis of HSP70 and HSP18 decreased earlier in SB than in NSB. The decreased synthesis of these HSPs appeared to be correlated with decreased mRNA abundance. But at 4 h, some of the HSP18 mRNA may have been associated with heat-shock granules in SB. Synthesis of HSP25 continued through the 8-h recovery in both variants. Although the abundance of HSP25 was equivalent in SB and NSB during heat shock and recovery, more HSP25 mRNA was associated with polysomes in SB than in NSB.
Evaluation of 30-Day Hospital Readmission After Surgery for Advanced-Stage Ovarian Cancer in a Medicare Population

Purpose To analyze rate, risk factors, and costs associated with 30-day readmission after ovarian cancer surgery. Patients and Methods The SEER-Medicare linked database (1992 to 2010) was used to evaluate readmission rates within 30 days of index surgery in patients with stage IIIC/IV ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with readmission. Results Of 5,152 eligible patients, 1,003 (19.5%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Mean patient age was 75 years. Diagnoses associated with readmission included infection (34.7%), dehydration (34.3%), ileus/obstruction (26.2%), metabolic/electrolyte derangements (23.1%), and anemia (12.3%). In multivariable analysis, year of discharge was significantly associated with 30-day readmission (1996 to 2000: odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.71; 2001 to 2005: OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.0; 2006 to 2010: OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.35 to 2.21; referent years 1992 to 1995), as w...
Outage capacity of maximal ratio transmission based multi-cellular MIMO systems

In this paper, we analyze the performance of multi-cellular MIMO systems with co-channel interference from users within the same cell as well as from other cells. We initially assume that user power levels are deterministic. Then, we extend the channel model to include shadowing and path loss along with power control, resulting in a statistical model for user powers. We derive easily computable closed form outage probability expressions in the form of finite sums for both cases. It is found that using antennas on the receiver side results in better performance since transmit diversity does not combat interference from same cell users. It is also shown that the outage capacity increases more than linearly with increasing order of diversity.
Demonstration of a spatially explicit, tag-integrated stock assessment model with application to three interconnected stocks of yellowtail flounder off of New England

Ignoring population structure and connectivity in stock assessment models can introduce bias into important management metrics. Tagintegrated assessmentmodels can account for spatially explicit population dynamics bymodellingmultiple population components, each with unique demographics, and estimatingmovement among them. A tagging submodel is included to calculate predicted tag recaptures, and observed tagging data are incorporated in the objective function to inform estimates of movement and mortality. We describe the tag-integrated assessment framework and demonstrate its use through an application to three stocks of yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) off NewEngland.Movement among the three yellowtail flounder stocks has been proposed as a potential source of uncertainty in the closedpopulation assessments of each.A tagging studywasconductedduring 2003–2006withover 45 000 taggedfish released in the region, and the tagging datawere included in the tag-integratedmodel. Results indicated thatmovement among stocks was low, estimates of stock size and fishingmortality were similar to those from conventional stock assessments, and incorporating stock connectivity did not resolve residual patterns. Despite low movement estimates, new interpretations of regional stock dynamics may have important implications for regional fisheries management given the source-sink nature of movement estimates.
Glacier: highly durable, decentralized storage despite massive correlated failures

Decentralized storage systems aggregate the available disk space of participating computers to provide a large storage facility. These systems rely on data redundancy to ensure durable storage despite of node failures. However, existing systems either assume independent node failures, or they rely on introspection to carefully place redundant data on nodes with low expected failure correlation. Unfortunately, node failures are not independent in practice and constructing an accurate failure model is difficult in large-scale systems. At the same time, malicious worms that propagate through the Internet pose a real threat of large-scale correlated failures. Such rare but potentially catastrophic failures must be considered when attempting to provide highly durable storage.In this paper, we describe Glacier, a distributed storage system that relies on massive redundancy to mask the effect of large-scale correlated failures. Glacier is designed to aggressively minimize the cost of this redundancy in space and time: Erasure coding and garbage collection reduces the storage cost; aggregation of small objects and a loosely coupled maintenance protocol for redundant fragments minimizes the messaging cost. In one configuration, for instance, our system can provide six-nines durable storage despite correlated failures of up to 60% of the storage nodes, at the cost of an elevenfold storage overhead and an average messaging overhead of only 4 messages per node and minute during normal operation. Glacier is used as the storage layer for an experimental serverless email system.
Suspended-sediment concentration regimes for two biological reference streams in Middle Tennessee

Diehl, Timothy H. and William J. Wolfe, 2010. Suspended-Sediment Concentration Regimes for Two Biological Reference Streams in Middle Tennessee. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(4): 824-837. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00460.x Abstract: Temporal patterns of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) duration and frequency (SSC regimes) were characterized and compared with biological impairment thresholds for two headwater streams in the Western Highland Rim of Tennessee. The SSC regimes were plotted as curves showing concentrations and durations of the annual longest and tenth-longest SSC excursions above 18 concentrations for water years 2005-2008 in Copperas Branch and water years 2006 and 2008 in Kelley Creek. Both streams have fish communities remarkably diverse for their small drainage basin areas (420 and 565 ha, respectively), and represent biological reference conditions with respect to SSC. SSC-regime curves were similar for the two sites across water years. The measured SSC regimes reached or exceeded published experimentally based SSC impairment thresholds and plotted below a proposed long-term SSC reference regime for the Interior Plateau ecoregion (Ecoregion 71), suggesting that neither the experimentally based thresholds nor the proposed SSC reference regime adequately reflect the relation between SSC and biological impairment for Western Highland Rim headwater streams. The SSC regimes of the two study streams were similar to the estimated SSC regime of an unimpaired East Tennessee trout stream. Additional field studies are needed to describe SSC regimes in streams of varying basin scale, level of impairment, and region.
Diagnostics and Prognostics of Electric Cables in Ship Power Systems via Joint Time-Frequency Domain Reflectometry

The integrity of the wiring in the electric power system of a ship is vital to its safe operation. To ensure the wiring integrity, it must be tested to determine if any incipient defects exist. Due to this problem, a non-destructive, non-intrusive condition assessment technique is highly desirable. Joint time-frequency domain reflectometry (JTFDR) is proposed and the theory behind JTFDR is also discussed. The experimental results demonstrate and verify the ability of JTFDR to be effective for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coaxial cable, which has been widely adopted for military applications in ship power systems. It is shown that JTFDR has the ability to detect and locate incipient defects with high accuracy and monitor the aging process of the cables to predict both future defects and the remaining service life of the cables.
Sparse Matrix Inversion for Restricted Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Variance Components by Expectation-Maximization

Abstract Expectation-maximization algorithms for REML estimation of variance components are regarded as expensive because they involve computation of the inverse of the coefficient matrix of the mixed model equations. The derivative-free algorithms are viewed as a less expensive alternative because they require computation of the determinant of the same matrix but not the inverse. Unfortunately, these algorithms have poorer numerical properties. We show that computing the sparse matrix inverse, used for any round of an expectation-maximization algorithm, is only about three times as expensive as computation of the determinant, used for each step of a derivative-free algorithm. Thus, the total computational costs of the expectation-maximization and derivative-free algorithms are comparable, and the difference in cost will depend mainly on the number of iterations needed to attain convergence.
Time-place learning and the ecology of recruitment in a stingless bee, Trigona amalthea (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

The stingless bee, Trigona amalthea(Olivier), has the ability to associate time and place with feeding. Bees learned to visit a training site during a feeding interval in order to acquire a reward. A lengthy period of anticipatory visits to the training site preceded the feeding interval. When a re- ward was not presented, visitation was high preceding and during the feeding interval but was rare following the feeding interval, behavior indicative of time-place learning. Additionally, we demon- strate that T. amalthea scouts recruit other workers to nectar baits, however, there is no relationship between the flight time to the colony and either the number of visits prior to recruitment or the number of workers recruited. Due to territoriality in this species, foraging ranges are truncated so that the ex- pected reductions of foraging effort at the margins of the foraging territory are not observed. In T. amalthea a combination of time-place learning and recruitment allow for rapid mobilization of workers when food is available. stingless bee / Meliponinae / Trigona / foraging / learning / recruitment
Waterpower: Politics and the Geography of Water Provision

Access to potable water is frequently said to be the defining world crisis of the twenty-first century. The argument is usually framed in terms of either direct environmental constraints or various totalistic views of how “the political” determines outcomes. There is little or no scope for the agency of practical politics. Both physical and human geographers tend to be dismissive of the possibilities of democratic politics ever resolving “crises” such as those of the geography of water provision, in part because of views of scientific expertise that devalue popular participation in decisions about “technical” matters such as water quality and distribution. Such dismissal also has much to do with a more generalized denigration of politics. Politics (the art of political deliberation, negotiation, and compromise) needs defending against its critics and many of its practitioners. Showing how politics is at work around the world in managing water problems and identifying the challenges that water problems pos...
The Impact of Anonymity on Responses to Sensitive Questions

To estimate frequencies of behaviors not carried out in public view, researchers generally must rely on self-report data. We explored 2 factors expected to influence the decision to reveal: (a) privacy (anonymity vs. confidentiality) and (b) normalization (providing information so that a behavior is reputedly commonplace or rare). We administered a questionnaire to I55 undergraduates. For 79 respondents, we had corroborative information regarding a negative behavior: cheating. The privacy variable had an enormous impact; of those who had cheated, 25% acknowledged having done so under confidentiality, but 74% admitted the behavior under anonymity. Normalization had no effect. There were also dramatic differences between anonymity and confidentiality on some of our other questions, for which we did not have validation. Perhaps the most fundamental issue in survey research is that posed in the title of Hyman’s (1944) paper, “Do they tell the truth?’ The quality of questionnaire data is especially worrisome when the behavior in question is likely to be viewed as embarrassing or sensitive (Armacost, Hosseini, Morris, & Rehbein, 1991; Becker & Bakal, 1970; Bradburn, Sudman, Blair, & Stocking, 1978). Nevertheless, the questionnaire is the primary tool for estimating the frequencies of
Turning performance of batoids: Limitations of a rigid body

article i nfo The ability to maneuver is an important aspect of the locomotor performance of fishes, but can be constrained by the inflexibility of the body, such as in batoid rays. Turning radius (maneuverability) and turning rate (agility) were measured from overhead video recordings of rays in a large pool during unrestricted swimming. The rays that were observed swam by oscillatory movements of the pectoral fins (Aetobatus narinari, Myliobatis freminvillii and Rhinoptera bonasus) or by undulations of the fins (Dasyatis americana and Dasyatis centroura). Oscillatory rays maneuvered by either powered or unpowered gliding turns, whereas undulatory rays turned using asymmetrical undulations of both pectoral fins. Underwater observations showed that both rays used banking while turning, where bank angle ranged from 15-70°. No differences were found between mean turning parameters between the two locomotor types. Minimum turn radius and maximum turning rate based on the extreme 20% of measurements were respectively smaller and larger for oscillatory rays (0.7 m; 44.4°s −1
PROTEIN HYDROLYSATE-INDUCED CHOLECYSTOKININ SECRETION FROM ENTEROENDOCRINE CELLS IS INDIRECTLY MEDIATED BY THE INTESTINAL OLIGOPEPTIDE TRANSPORTER PEPT1

Dietary protein is a major stimulant for cholecystokinin (CCK) secretion by the intestinal I cell, however, the mechanism by which protein is detected is unknown. Indirect functional evidence suggests that PepT1 may play a role in CCK-mediated changes in gastric motor function. However, it is unclear whether this oligopeptide transporter directly or indirectly activates the I cell. Using both the CCK-expressing enteroendocrine STC-1 cell and acutely isolated native I cells from CCK-enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) mice, we aimed to determine whether PepT1 directly activates the enteroendocrine cell to elicit CCK secretion in response to oligopeptides. Both STC-1 cells and isolated CCK-eGFP cells expressed PepT1 transcripts. STC-1 cells were activated, as measured by ERK1/2 phosphorylation, by both peptone and the PepT1 substrate Cefaclor; however, the PepT1 inhibitor 4-aminomethyl benzoic acid (AMBA) had no effect on STC-1 cell activity. The PepT1-transportable substrate glycyl-sarcosine dose-dependently decreased gastric motility in anesthetized rats but had no affect on activation of STC-1 cells or on CCK secretion by CCK-eGFP cells. CCK secretion was significantly increased in response to peptone but not to Cefaclor, cephalexin, or Phe-Ala in CCK-eGFP cells. Taken together, the data suggest that PepT1 does not directly mediate CCK secretion in response to PepT1 specific substrates. PepT1, instead, may have an indirect role in protein sensing in the intestine.
Ionic strength and solvent control over the physical structure, electronic properties and superquenching of conjugated polyelectrolytes

In this paper, we investigate the photophysical properties of the conjugated poly electrolyte poly(2-methoxy-5-propyloxy sulfonate phenylene vinylene) (MPS-PPV), dissolved in both water and DMSO as a function of the solution ionic strength. Dynamic light scattering indicates that MPS-PPV chains exist in a highly agglomerated conformation in both solvents, and that the size of the agglomerates depends on both the ionic strength and the charge of the counter-ion. Even though the degree of agglomeration is similar in the two solvents, we find that the fluorescence quantum yield of MPS-PPV in DMSO is nearly 100-times greater than that in water. Moreover, intensity-dependent femtosecond pump-probe experiments show that there is a significant degree of exciton-exciton annihilation in water but not in DMSO, suggesting that the MPS-PPV chromophores interact to form interchain electronic species that quench the emission in water. Given that the emission quenching properties depend sensitively on the chain conformation and degree of chromophore contact, we also explore the superquenching may be either enhanced or diminished in either of the solvents via addition of simple salts, and we present a molecular picture to rationalize how the conformational properties of conjugated polyelectrolytes can be tuned to enhance their emissive behavior for sensing applications.
Health and Economic Implications of HPV Vaccination in the United States

BACKGROUND The cost-effectiveness of prophylactic vaccination against human papillomavirus types 16 (HPV-16) and 18 (HPV-18) is an important consideration for guidelines for immunization in the United States. METHODS We synthesized epidemiologic and demographic data using models of HPV-16 and HPV-18 transmission and cervical carcinogenesis to compare the health and economic outcomes of vaccinating preadolescent girls (at 12 years of age) and vaccinating older girls and women in catch-up programs (to 18, 21, or 26 years of age). We examined the health benefits of averting other HPV-16-related and HPV-18-related cancers, the prevention of HPV-6-related and HPV-11-related genital warts and juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis by means of the quadrivalent vaccine, the duration of immunity, and future screening practices. RESULTS On the assumption that the vaccine provided lifelong immunity, the cost-effectiveness ratio of vaccination of 12-year-old girls was $43,600 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained, as compared with the current screening practice. Under baseline assumptions, the cost-effectiveness ratio for extending a temporary catch-up program for girls to 18 years of age was $97,300 per QALY; the cost of extending vaccination of girls and women to the age of 21 years was $120,400 per QALY, and the cost for extension to the age of 26 years was $152,700 per QALY. The results were sensitive to the duration of vaccine-induced immunity; if immunity waned after 10 years, the cost of vaccination of preadolescent girls exceeded $140,000 per QALY, and catch-up strategies were less cost-effective than screening alone. The cost-effectiveness ratios for vaccination strategies were more favorable if the benefits of averting other health conditions were included or if screening was delayed and performed at less frequent intervals and with more sensitive tests; they were less favorable if vaccinated girls were preferentially screened more frequently in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS The cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination will depend on the duration of vaccine immunity and will be optimized by achieving high coverage in preadolescent girls, targeting initial catch-up efforts to women up to 18 or 21 years of age, and revising screening policies.
Buckling of Locally Loaded Isotropic, Orthotropic, and Composite Cylindrical Shells

This paper incorporates an analysis of the stability of orthotropic or isotropic cylindrical shells subjected to external pressure applied over all or part of their surfaces. An eighth-order governing equation for buckling of orthotropic, isotropic, and composite cylindrical shells is deduced. This governing differential equation can facilitate the analysis and enable us to resolve the buckling problem. The formulas and results, deduced for the first time in this paper, may be readily applied in determining critical loads for local loading of orthotropic, isotropic, and composite cylindrical shells.
Microarray validation of molecular and cellular signaling in Homarus americanus and Penaeus monodon

Previous studies have demonstrated that invertebrate neural tissues contain mammalian-like neurotransmitters, which activate specific cellular functions. Therefore, it was of interest to attempt to identify these molecules via Agilent gene expression microarrays. The array was used to analyze the transcriptional profiles of lobster and shrimp RNA samples. We show dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine genes and their corresponding receptors are significantly expressed in lobster and shrimp neural tissues with a signal to noise value greater than 2. These signal molecules are directly related to previously discovered molecules in invertebrates, suggesting that they first appeared earlier in evolution and are necessary for an animal’s survival.
Strategies in nitrogen uptake and use by deciduous and evergreen woody species in a seasonally dry sandhill community

Dry seasonal ecosystems such as the Florida sandhill are defined by a pronounced and consistent dry season that results in both water and nutrient limitation. Deciduous and evergreen species have evolved different leaf phenologies, which change the temporal pattern of nutrient demands for leaf growth. To measure N uptake for deciduous and evergreen species during late dry season deciduous leaf-out, we labeled the shallow soil with 15N by spreading a mixture of native sand and 15N-KNO3 around each tree and measured foliar nitrogen isotopic composition. We also measured foliar N content and nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE). Evergreen and deciduous species were not consistently different in foliar N content and NRE, but natural foliar δ15N values were consistently higher in deciduous species. Labeling experiments show that uptake rate of 15N- labeled NO3 − was lowest for the deciduous species. Inconsistent results in foliar N content and NRE do not explain the differences in leaf habit in nutrient-poor ecosystems. Low N uptake during leaf-out limits deciduous species to the most fertile regions of the Florida scrub as well as in several other ecosystems, so that they can take up sufficient N to meet the demands of leaf growth.
Wind Speed Distributions and Reliability Estimates

The purpose of this note is to present an investigation into the effect of this assumption upon the estimation of reliabilities for wind-sensitive members. Such an investigation is motivated by recent research results, according to which extreme wind speeds are best modeled in most cases by probability distributions with considerably shorter tails than the Extreme Value Type I distribution. In particular, the Rayleigh distribution,, or other Extreme Type III distributions with even shorter tails, have been suggested.
A collaboration-focused taxonomy of the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to redefine what it means to collaborate. In light of this potential, we developed a taxonomy to identify how the IoT enables collaboration, and conversely, how our knowledge of collaboration systems can guide IoT system development and research. The taxonomy bridges the technical and human aspects of the IoT by drawing on collaboration and computer network theories. It is also grounded in previously proposed and existing IoT use cases. In this paper, we introduce our current conceptualization of the entire taxonomy and focus on its IoT system complexity dimension. Based on our analysis of the sub-dimensions that make up the system complexity dimension, we identify the need to provide awareness support for the user as a canonical challenge in IoT system design, and articulate why.
Polarization Signatures of Bow Shocks in Stellar Winds

Bow shocks around massive stars provide important information regarding the motion of the star, the stellar wind properties, and the density of the surrounding interstellar medium. We use a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to investigate the polarization created when photons from a central star scatter from electrons or dust grains in a surrounding bow shock. We discuss the behavior of the polarization with respect to viewing angle as a function of parameters such as optical depth and scattering medium in both the resolved and unresolved cases.
Oscillation Criteria for Four-Dimensional Time-Scale Systems

In this paper, we obtain oscillation and nonoscillation criteria for solutions to four-dimensional systems of first-order dynamic equations on time scales. Especially, we are interested in the conditions which insure that every solution is oscillatory in the sub-linear, half-linear, and super-linear cases. Our approach is based on the sign of the components of nonoscillatory solutions. Several examples are included to highlight our main results.
Soviet policy on Seoul‐Moscow normalization

Mikhail Gorbachev's foreign policy toward the two Koreas moved from a pro‐North Korean policy to a new policy that demanded the establishment of official relations with Seoul. This research is designed to answer the dual question: How did Soviet policy on Moscow‐Seoul normalization change, and why? As Gorbachev progressively increased his power through tactful political maneuvers, he gained the self‐confidence and political clout needed to implement new policy toward Seoul. During 1988–1990, the Kremlin moved to normalize relations with Seoul through three stages: (1) establishment of formal economic relations by exchanging trade offices; (2) establishment of informal political relations by inviting South Korea's prominent political leader to Moscow; and (3) conclusion of diplomatic ties. The Soviets intended to improve their ailing economy with South Korea's economic assistance. In addition, Gorbachev was eager to join the Asian Pacific community as a full member with the help of South Korea.
Response to WHO

We agree with the WHO and United Nations agencies that elimination of female genital alteration is a desirable goal in those communities where the practice is tied to discrimination and oppression of women.1 To the extent that any practice subjugates or endangers women, of course, its elimination is desirable. As practising physicians, we are appalled by mutilating procedures that kill and maim young women, that impair their ability to have a healthy sexual relationship, and that make childbirth dangerous. Where we disagree, respectfully, is in tactic. Indeed, in most circumstances, respect, collaboration and compromise are more effective in achieving change than censure and condemnation.2 Therefore, …
SYNTHETICAL EVALUATION OF ECONOMIC EFFECTOF IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY

This article is focussed on synthetical evaluation on the economic effect of Iron and Steel Industry.The trend of economic effect of Chinese Iron and Steel Industry in recent years is investigated and compared with that of American Iron and Steel Industry.
Attention and the Testing Effect.

Memory retrieval often enhances still later memory as evidenced by the testing effect. Divided attention (DA) is known to produce different effects on encoding and retrieval, substantially disrupting the former and often producing little effect on the latter. The present experiments examine whether the mnemonic consequences of retrieval are similarly resilient in the face of distraction or if they have a similar sensitivity to DA as study-based encoding. In 2 experiments, participants initially studied a set of word pairs (Phase 1) then engaged in restudy of some pairs and retrieval practice of others (Phase 2), followed by either an immediate or (24-hr) delayed final cued-recall test (Phase 3). Phase 2 restudy and retrieval practice occurred under full attention (FA) or DA. Phase 2 performance replicated earlier research in finding little effect of DA on retrieval success, and greater disruption to the secondary task in the retrieval than restudy condition. More importantly, the testing effect on the final test (the difference between the retrieval and restudy conditions) was greater in the DA than FA condition. Final recall was substantially reduced by DA in the restudy condition but not in the retrieval condition. This pattern was found for related and unrelated word pairs, with feedback during retrieval practice and without, for immediate as well as delayed final tests, and for high as well as low performance on the secondary task. The encoding effects of retrieval appear to be more resilient in the face of distraction than the encoding effects of restudy. (PsycINFO Database Record
Development and psychometric properties of a measure of catheter burden with bladder drainage after pelvic reconstructive surgery.

Aims Catheter burden after pelvic reconstructive surgery is an important patient-reported quality of life outcome in research and clinical practice. However, existing tools focus on long-term catheter users rather than short-term postoperative patients. The study aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a modified version of the intermittent self-catheterization questionnaire (ISC-Q) in postoperative pelvic reconstructive patients. Methods After experts convened to discuss and modify the ISC-Q items based on their knowledge of women's experiences and clinical practices, 178 women (108 with transurethral and 70 with suprapubic catheters) completed the modified scale and other measures as part of a larger parent study designed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following pelvic reconstructive surgery requiring bladder drainage. Results During psychometric testing, the modified ISC-Q was reduced to six items encompassing two factors: a three-item difficulty of use factor and a 3-item embarrassment factor. The new scale was named the short-term catheter burden questionnaire (STCBQ). The two-factor model was robust in both subsamples. Only scores within and not between subsamples can be meaningfully compared due to a lack of scalar invariance. Correlations among STCBQ total scores, subscores, and a single satisfaction item indicated good construct validity. Correlations with patient demographics provided further information about the scale. Conclusions The STCBQ is a short, efficient assessment of short-term catheter burden following pelvic reconstructive surgery. The scale can be used as an important patient reported outcome measure in clinical practice and research. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:1140–1146, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Medical School Hotline: Liaison Committee on Medical Education Accreditation, Part VIII: Faculty Development.

JABSOM provides a wide array of opportunities for faculty members to enhance their skills and leadership abilities in teaching, curricular design, program evaluation, student assessment, and instructional methodology. It is through this commitment to professional development that JABSOM ensures that faculty members possess the requisite skills, knowledge and attitudes to be the effective teachers that a successful medical student curriculum requires.
Trait mindfulness in an engineering classroom: An exploration of the relationship between mindfulness, academic skills, and professional skills

This research explores the intersection of mindfulness and engineering education. Among the reported benefits of mindfulness are enhanced cognitive flexibility, improved concentration, and increased emotional intelligence. These characteristics may be beneficial to engineers as they tackle increasingly complex and interdisciplinary challenges. This research looks at trait mindfulness of 75 students in an introductory engineering course. Results show that mindfulness correlates with business skills self-efficacy (including interpersonal skills) but not with mechanics self-efficacy or final grade. There is also a correlation between mindfulness and the intent to pursue a career in a small company or in an entrepreneurial start-up company. Implications of this research suggest that mindfulness-based classroom activities may help broaden the engineering education experience.
Examining Sibling Communication About Problematic Drinking: An Application of Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Theory

ABSTRACTThis study applies inconsistent nurturing as control (INC) theory to examine how siblings describe communicating about problematic drinking. Thirty-five college students reported on how they and a sibling discuss drinking that is perceived as problematic and described behaviors related to the problematic drinking. Interviews were transcribed and coded in two separate rounds of coding; the first round identified categories related to INC theory (reinforcement, punishment, and labeling). Reinforcement often took the form of avoiding the topic of drinking and using drinking as a means for bonding. Punishment primarily took the form of confrontation. The second round identified such themes as frustration at the inability to stop a sibling’s drinking, a tendency to overlook the severity of the drinking, and a combination of wanting to discuss alcohol openly, but also wanting to avoid discussions about negative consequences. There were five primary descriptions of power dynamics: equal and open with one...
Phonological Treatment Approaches for Spoken Word Production in Aphasia

This article provides an overview of phonological treatment approaches for anomia in individuals with aphasia. The role of phonology in language processing, as well as the impact of phonological impairment on communication is initially discussed. Then, traditional phonologically based treatment approaches, including phonological, orthographic, indirect, guided, and mixed cueing methods, are described. Collectively, these cueing treatment approaches aim to facilitate word retrieval by stimulating residual phonological abilities. An alternative treatment approach, phonomotor treatment, is also examined. Phonomotor treatment aims to rebuild sublexical, phonological sequence knowledge and phonological awareness as a means to strengthen lexical processing and whole-word naming. This treatment is supported by a parallel-distributed processing model of phonology and therefore promotes multimodal training of individual phonemes and phoneme sequences in an effort to enhance the neural connectivity supporting underlying phonological processing mechanisms. The article concludes with suggestions for clinical application and implementation.
Tensions and Transformations: Using an Ethical Framework to Teach a Course on Disability Law to Future Educational Leaders.

This article explores the authors' experience using an ethical framework to teach a course on disability law to graduate level education students.
Factors that influence learner readiness.

Dietitians and nutrition educators can better decide what and how to teach if they first determine what the client or student is ready to learn. This article describes four major factors that influence learner readiness in short one-to-one interactions. The factors include information processing capacity, affective state, prior learning and experience, and the learner's "way of knowing" or philosophy of learning. Important aspects of the factors can be revealed quickly with 2 to 3 minutes of respectful, interested questioning to determine whether the learner is in a negative mood or oppressed affective state and to determine his or her experiential or knowledge background and approach or reaction to learning new material. The most common mistake educators make is "information overload." The human capacity to process information is limited. Instruction should be made to fit the learner's capacity (i.e., a maximum of seven +/- two concepts should be addressed in a 15-minute period). When nutritionists adjust their teaching style to better fit individual variations, they will maximize their impact as educators.
Synthesis of Ru Icosahedral Nanocages with a Face-Centered-Cubic Structure and Evaluation of Their Catalytic Properties

Owing to the presence of {111} facets, twin boundaries, and strain fields on the surface, noble-metal nanocrystals with an icosahedral shape have been reported with stellar performance toward an array of catalytic reactions. Here, we report the successful synthesis of Ru icosahedral nanocages with a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure by conformally coating Pd icosahedral seeds with ultrathin Ru shells, followed by selective removal of the Pd cores via chemical etching. We discovered that the presence of bromide ions was critical to the layer-by-layer deposition of Ru atoms. According to in situ XRD, the fcc structure in the Ru nanocages could be retained up to 300 °C before it was transformed into the conventional hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. Additionally, the icosahedral shape of the Ru nanocages could be largely preserved up to 300 °C. The Ru icosahedral nanocages with twin boundaries on the surface exhibited greatly enhanced activities toward both the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and decompos...
First Use of Tritium at the National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is the world’s largest and most powerful laser system for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and experiments studying h...
Colorectal cancer screening interventions in 2 health care systems serving disadvantaged populations: Screening uptake and cost-effectiveness.

Background The objectives of the current study were to assess changes in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake and the cost-effectiveness of implementing multiple evidence-based interventions (EBIs). EBIs were implemented at 2 federally qualified health centers that participated in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Clinic Quality Improvement for Population Health initiative. Methods Interventions included patient and provider reminder systems (health system 1), provider assessment and feedback (health systems 1 and 2), and numerous support activities (health systems 1 and 2). The authors evaluated health system 1 from July 2013 to June 2015 and health system 2 from July 2014 to June 2017. Evaluation measures included annual CRC screening uptake, EBIs implemented, funds received and expended by each health system to implement EBIs, and intervention costs to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and health systems. Results CRC screening uptake increased by 18 percentage points in health system 1 and 10 percentage points in health system 2. The improvements in CRC screening uptake, not including the cost of the screening tests, were obtained at an added cost ranging from $24 to $29 per person screened. Conclusions In both health systems, the multicomponent interventions implemented likely resulted in improvements in CRC screening. The results suggest that significant increases in CRC screening uptake can be achieved in federally qualified health centers when appropriate technical support and health system commitment are present. The cost estimates of the multicomponent interventions suggest that these interventions and support activities can be implemented in a cost-effective manner.
Nε-lysine acetylation in the endoplasmic reticulum - a novel cellular mechanism that regulates proteostasis and autophagy.

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) take many shapes, have many effects and are necessary for cellular homeostasis. One of these PTMs, Ne-lysine acetylation, was thought to occur only in the mitochondria, cytosol and nucleus, but this paradigm was challenged in the past decade with the discovery of lysine acetylation in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This process is governed by the ER acetylation machinery: the cytosol:ER-lumen acetyl-CoA transporter AT-1 (also known as SLC33A1), and the ER-resident lysine acetyltransferases ATase1 and ATase2 (also known as NAT8B and NAT8, respectively). This Review summarizes the more recent biochemical, cellular and mouse model studies that underscore the importance of the ER acetylation process in maintaining protein homeostasis and autophagy within the secretory pathway, and its impact on developmental and age-associated diseases.
The Value of State Differences in Autism When Compared to a National Prevalence Estimate

* Abbreviations: ADDM — : Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring ASD — : autism spectrum disorder NSCH — : National Survey of Children’s Health This issue’s article, “The Prevalence of Parent-Reported Autism Spectrum Disorder Among US Children,” revealed that the parent-reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) is now 1 in 40, representing 2.50% of US children ages 3 to 17 years.1 This estimate represents the latest point data on an ever-increasing trend of ASD prevalence in recent years. But what does this new estimate mean? As an average value representing the entire United States, perhaps not as much as one might think. Studies from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network have consistently documented considerable heterogeneity in ASD prevalences across states. The most recent data from 2014 revealed prevalence estimates ranging from 13.1 per 1000 children in Arkansas to 29.3 per 1000 children in New Jersey, which is more than a twofold difference. Moreover, the range of state-level prevalence estimates was many times larger than the 95% confidence interval around the mean prevalence rate (16.4–17.3 per 1000 children), with only 1 state-level estimate falling within that 95% confidence interval.2 Already large, differences in state-level estimates of ASD prevalence appear … Address correspondence to Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston Medical Center, Vose Hall, Room 318a, 850 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118. E-mail: sarabeth.broder-fingert{at}bmc.org
Identification and characterization of two novel oncogenic mTOR mutations

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is often aberrantly activated, particularly when genetically altered, in human cancers. mTOR inhibitors targeting the activated mTOR signaling are highly promising anti-cancer drugs. Knowing the activating genetic change in mTOR can help guide the use of mTOR inhibitors for cancer treatment. This study was conducted to identify and characterize novel oncogenic mTOR mutations that can potentially be therapeutic targets in human cancer. We sequenced 30 exons of the mTOR gene in 12 thyroid cancer cell lines, 3 melanoma cell lines, 20 anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) tumors, and 23 melanoma tumors and functionally characterized the identified novel mTOR mutations in vitro and in vivo. We identified a novel point mutation A1256G in ATC cell line and G7076A in melanoma tumor in exon 9 and exon 51 of the mTOR gene, respectively. Over-expression of the corresponding mTOR mutants H419R and G2359E created through induced mutagenesis showed markedly elevated protein kinase activities associated with the activation of mTOR/p70S6K signaling in HEK293T cells. Stable expression of the two mTOR mutants in NIH3T3 cells strongly activated the mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway and induced morphologic transformation, cell focus formation, anchorage-independent cell growth, and invasion. Inoculation of these mutant-expressing cells in athymic nude mice induced rapid tumor development, showing their driving oncogenicity. We also demonstrated that transfection with the novel mutants conferred cells high sensitivities to the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus. We speculate that human cancers harboring these mTOR mutations, such as ATC and melanoma, may be effectively treated with inhibitors targeting mTOR.