cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Coexisting Depression: A Single-Case Study:

Pain resulting from chronic medical conditions (CMCs) can create debilitating effects globally across domains of functioning in the lives of those it impacts. There currently remain no treatment op...
The Protection/Hardening of California's Coast: Times Are Changing

ABSTRACT Griggs, G. and Patsch, K., 2019. The protection/hardening of California's coast: Times are changing. Journal of Coastal Research, 35(5), 1051–1061. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208....
Coronary Atherosclerosis in Masters Athletes: Mechanisms and Implications for Cardiovascular Disease Risk

This manuscript reviews the data on the mechanisms and significance of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in masters athletes. It describes recent advances in understanding the biological pathway for the development and progression of ASCVD in athletes. It also reviews salient clinical trials, guidelines on managing ASCVD in masters athletes, and future research directions. Recent data have produced controversy as to whether high levels of physical activity and endurance training can promote ASCVD. Longstanding, vigorous endurance exercise may increase the development of calcified and non-calcified coronary plaques. There are no clinical trials to inform clinicians on how to manage masters athletes with occult ASCVD. We provide a review of the data on ASCVD in older athletes, the risks and benefits of exercise in active individuals with ASCVD, and our approach to evaluating and managing these patients. Vigorous physical exertion transiently increases the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and sudden cardiac death in patients with ASCVD. New research has demonstrated increases in both calcified and non-calcified plaque in athletes, although the dominant plaque type is usually calcific. The mechanisms mediating this possible increase in atherosclerosis in active individuals is uncertain, as is the prognostic implications of the increased atherosclerosis. The predominance of calcified plaque may indicate that coronary plaques in athletes are less prone to rupture and to produce acute coronary events. Some guidelines offer recommendations on the management of non-athletic patients with elevated CAC but data on athletes is scarce. Until additional studies are available, we suggest that athletes with CAC values > 100 Agatston units be managed as if they have preclinical ASCVD. They should be informed of the symptoms of angina and ACS and the importance of prompt medical attention should such symptoms occur. Serum calcium and parathyroid hormones levels should be measured to exclude hyperparathyroidism. Patients should undergo symptom-limited maximal exercise stress testing and aggressive lipid treatment to achieve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values < 70 mg/dl.
3D Medical Image Classification with Depthwise Separable Networks

Abstract This research studies a dilated depthwise separable convolution neural network (DSCN) model to identify human tissue types from 3D medical images. 3D medical image classification is a challenging task due to the unpredictable noise and indistinct tissue behaviors of the image content. The objective of this research is to improve typical supervised deep learning model accuracy by using dilated convolution and depthwise separable network approaches on 3D medical image classification tasks. A depthwise separable architecture is used to improve parameter utilization efficiency. Dilated convolutions are applied to systematically aggregate multiscale contextual information and provide a large receptive field with a small number of trainable weights. The performance of the constructed model is tested to perform a multi-class human tissue classification on 3D Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images. Experimental results are compared with typical deep learning classification models. The results show that the DSCN model outperforms other models for all the tissue classification tasks. The proposed DSCN model can be a potential approach for the 3D image-based diagnostic tasks in both healthcare and manufacturing field.
Self-Navigated Three-Dimensional Ultrashort Echo Time Technique for Motion-Corrected Skull MRI

Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI is capable of detecting signals from protons with very short T2 relaxation times, and thus has potential for skull-selective imaging as a radiation-free alternative to computed tomography. However, relatively long scan times make the technique vulnerable to artifacts from involuntary subject motion. Here, we developed a self-navigated, three-dimensional (3D) UTE pulse sequence, which builds on dual-RF, dual-echo UTE imaging, and a retrospective motion correction scheme for motion-resistant skull MRI. Full echo signals in the second readout serve as a self-navigator that yields a time-course of center of mass, allowing for adaptive determination of motion states. Furthermore, golden-means based k-space trajectory was employed to achieve a quasi-uniform distribution of sampling views on a spherical k-space surface for any subset of the entire data collected, thereby allowing reconstruction of low-resolution images pertaining to each motion state for subsequent estimation of rigid-motion parameters. Finally, the extracted trajectory of the head was used to make the whole k-space datasets motion-consistent, leading to motion-corrected, high-resolution images. Additionally, we posit that hardware-related k-space trajectory errors, if uncorrected, result in obscured bone contrast. Thus, a calibration scan was performed once to measure k-space encoding locations, subsequently used during image reconstruction of actual imaging data. In vivo studies were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed correction schemes in combination with approaches to accelerated bone-selective imaging. Results illustrating effective removal of motion artifacts and clear depiction of skull bone voxels suggest that the proposed method is robust to intermittent head motions during scanning.
Age Differences in the Chief Complaint Associated With a First Acute Myocardial Infarction and Patient's Care-Seeking Behavior.

Abstract Background This study set out to describe age differences in patient's chief complaint related to a first myocardial infarction and how the “typicality” of patient's acute symptoms relates to extent of prehospital delay. Methods The medical records of 2586 residents of central Massachusetts hospitalized at 11 greater Worcester medical centers with a first myocardial infarction on a biennial basis between 2001 and 2011 were reviewed. Results The average age of the study population was 66.4 years, 39.6% were women, 40.2% were diagnosed with a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and 72.0 % presented with typical symptoms of myocardial infarction, namely acute chest pain or pressure. Patients were categorized into 5 age strata: >55 years (23%), 55-64 years (20%), 65-74 years (19%), 75-84 years (22%), and ≥85 years (16%). The lowest proportion (11%) of atypical symptoms of myocardial infarction was observed in patients Conclusions The present results provide insights to the presenting chief complaint of patients hospitalized with a first myocardial infarction according to age and the relation of symptom presentation to patient's care-seeking behavior.
CTRP12 inhibits triglyceride synthesis and export in hepatocytes by suppressing HNF-4α and DGAT2 expression.

C1q/TNF-related protein 12 (CTRP12) is an antidiabetic adipokine whose circulating levels are reduced in obesity and diabetes. Although partial and complete loss-of-function mouse models suggest a role for CTRP12 in modulating lipid metabolism and adiposity, its effect on cellular lipid metabolism remains poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate a direct action of CTRP12 in regulating lipid synthesis and secretion. In hepatoma cells and primary mouse hepatocytes, CTRP12 treatment inhibits triglyceride synthesis by suppressing glycerophosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) expression. CTRP12 treatment also downregulates the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF-4α) and its target gene microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP), leading to reduced very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triglyceride export from hepatocytes. Consistent with the in vitro findings, overexpressing CTRP12 lowers fasting and postprandial serum triglyceride levels in mice. These results underscore the important function of CTRP12 in lipid metabolism in hepatocytes.
Abstract NS5: Use of a Multidisciplinary Approach to Successfully Improve Inpatient Diabetes Self-Management Education and Diabetes Medication Reconciliation at Discharge for Persons With Diabetes and Stroke at a Major Academic Medical Center

Background: Persons with diabetes are 1.5 times more likely to have a stroke. Research shows that there is a correlation between increasing diabetes and stroke. Education for stroke patients, howev...
Development of a Large Colonoscopy-Based Longitudinal Cohort for Integrated Research of Colorectal Cancer: Partners Colonoscopy Cohort.

Conventional adenomas (CAs) and serrated polyps (SPs) are precursors to colorectal cancer (CRC). Understanding metachronous cancer risk is poor due to lack of accurate large-volume datasets. We outline the use of natural language processing (NLP) in forming the Partners Colonoscopy Cohort, an integrated longitudinal cohort of patients undergoing colonoscopies. We identified endoscopy quality data from endoscopy reports for colonoscopies performed from 2007 to 2018 in a large integrated healthcare system, Mass General Brigham). Through modification of an established NLP pipeline, we extracted histopathological data (polyp location, histology and dysplasia) from corresponding pathology reports. Pathology and endoscopy data were merged by polyp location using a four-stage algorithm. NLP and merging procedures were validated by manual review of 500 pathology reports. 305,656 colonoscopies in 213,924 patients were identified. After merging, 76,137 patients had matched polyp data for 334,750 polyps. CAs and SPs were present in 86,707 (28.5%) and 55,373 (18.2%) colonoscopies. Among patients with polyps at index screening colonoscopy, 14,931 (33.4%) had follow-up colonoscopy (median 46.4, interquartile range 33.8–62.4 months); 91 (0.2%) and 1127 (2.5%) patients developed metachronous CRC and high-risk polyps (polyps ≥ 10 mm or CAs having high-grade dysplasia/villous/tublovillous histology or SPs with dysplasia). Genetic data were available for 23,787 (31.7%) patients with polyps from the Partners Biobank. The validation study showed a positive predictive value of 100% for polyp histology and locations. We created the Partners Colonoscopy Cohort providing essential infrastructure for future studies to better understand the natural history of CRC and improve screening and post-polypectomy strategies.
The First World War and the mobilization of Biblical scholarship, scriptural traces: critical perspectives on the reception and influence of the Bible: edited by Andrew Mein, Nathan MacDonald and Matthew A. Collins, London, T & T Clark, 2019, xi + 307 pp., $114.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-5676-8078-5

Religion and warfare have been bedfellows for most, if not all, of human history. Though some may assert that modernity somehow managed to break this bond, over the past couple of decades scholars ...
Loss of Stk11 in basolateral amygdalar projection neurons impairs CTA learning by altering the temporal pattern of taste response plasticity in GC

Gustatory cortex (GC) responds to tastes on the tongue with dynamic ensemble activity that represents first the presence, then the identity, and finally the hedonic value (palatability) of tastes. This final state of the taste response is uniquely altered by conditioned taste aversion (CTA) -- a powerful one-trial learning paradigm in which a taste becomes aversive after association with gastric malaise -- a process requiring coordination between GC and basolateral amygdala (BLA). Previously, we found that one key requirement for learning in this circuit is expression of the serine/threonine kinase 11 (Stk11) gene (a tumor suppression gene which has only recently been associated with learning; Levitan et al., 2020). When Stk11 is knocked out in BLA projection neurons (BLApn), CTA learning fails to occur. Here we have examined how learning-related response plasticity in GC taste responses is impacted by the knockout of Stk11 in BLApn. Contrary to the commonly held assumption that a lack of learning means a lack of such plasticity, but consistent with the fact that Stk11KO has been shown to increase the excitability of BLApn, our data reveal that the knockout of Stk11 in BLApn does not eliminate plasticity; rather, it shifts the impact of CTA training on GC taste responses to an earlier, learning-inappropriate epoch. Even naive taste representations are altered -- specifically, the pattern of similarities and differences among the different taste responses are rendered abnormal by Stk11 KO, and these relationships fail to change with training. Finally, the latency of behavior-related dynamic ensemble features of the GC taste response, which is also abnormal in naive KO mice, is rendered disorganized by CTA. Together, these results suggest that Stk11 plays a role in governing the coordination of GC activity by BLA, and demonstrate that alterations in the function of BLApn caused by Stk11KO inhibit learning not by inhibiting plasticity but by changing its temporal properties.
A systematic review of near work and myopia: measurement, relationships, mechanisms and clinical corollaries

After decades of investigation, the role of near work in myopia remains unresolved, with some studies reporting no relationship and others finding the opposite. This systematic review is intended to summarize classic and recent literature investigating near work and the onset and progression of myopia, potential mechanisms and pertinent clinical recommendations. The impact of electronic device use is considered. PubMed and Medline were used to find peer-reviewed cross-sectional and longitudinal studies related to near work and myopia from 1980 to July 2020 using the PRISMA checklist. Studies were chosen using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, with a focus on studies with a sample size greater than 50. Studies were independently evaluated; conclusions were drawn per these evaluations. Numerous cross-sectional studies found increased odds ratio of myopia with increased near work. While early longitudinal studies failed to find this relationship, more recent longitudinal studies have found a relationship between myopia and near work. Rather than daily duration of near work, interest has increased regarding absolute working distance and duration of continuous near viewing. Several reports have found that shorter working distances ( 30 min) are risk factors for myopia onset and progression. Novel objective continuously measuring rangefinding devices have been developed to better address these questions. The literature is conflicting, likely due to the subjective and variable nature in which near work has been quantified and a paucity of longitudinal studies. We conclude that more precise objective measures of near viewing behaviour are necessary to make definitive conclusions regarding the relationship between myopia and near work. Focus should shift to utilizing objective and continuously measuring instruments to quantify near-work behaviours in children, followed longitudinally, to understand the complex factors related to near work. A better understanding of the roles of absolute working distance, temporal properties, viewing breaks and electronic device use on myopia development and progression will aid in the development of evidence-based clinical recommendations for behavioural modifications to prevent and slow myopia.
Effect of the E200K Mutation on Prion Protein Metabolism: Comparative Study of a Cell Model and Human Brain

The hallmark of prion diseases is the cerebral accumulation of a conformationally altered isoform (PrP Sc ) of a normal cellular protein, the prion protein (PrP C ). In the inherited form, mutations in the prion protein gene are thought to cause the disease by altering the metabolism of the mutant PrP (PrP M ) engendering its conversion into PrP Sc . We used a cell model to study biosynthesis and processing of PrP M carrying the glutamic acid to lysine substitution at residue 200 (E200K), which is linked to the most common inherited human prion disease. PrP M contained an aberrant glycan at residue 197 and generated an increased quantity of truncated fragments. In addition, PrP M showed impaired transport of the unglycosylated isoform to the cell surface. Similar changes were found in the PrP isolated from brains of patients affected by the E200K variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Although the cellular PrP M displayed some characteristics of PrP Sc , the PrP Sc found in the E200K brains was quantitatively and qualitatively different. We propose that the E200K mutation cause the same metabolic changes of PrP M in the cell model and in the brain. However, in the brain, PrP M undergoes additional modifications, by an age-dependent mechanism that leads to the formation of PrP Sc and the development of the disease.
SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE RESOLUTION OF STEROL REGULATORY REGION IN PROMOTER FOR 3-HYDROXY-3-METHYLGLUTARYL COENZYME A REDUCTASE

Sterol-dependent regulation of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase promoter was previously localized to a 42-base pair region containing an octamer sequence, referred to as the sterol regulatory element (SRE-1). A similar motif is found in the region of DNA that is required for sterol-dependent regulation of the HMG-CoA synthase and low density lipoprotein receptor genes. Single nucleotide substitution analyses of the low density lipoprotein receptor and HMG-CoA synthase promoters confirmed that the SRE-1 is an important sterol regulatory motif. In the current studies, a series of single nucleotide mutations were introduced into the HMG-CoA reductase regulatory region and transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells. RNA produced by each mutant promoter was then measured in the presence or absence of sterols. Thirty-seven independent mutations were analyzed, and two separate domains were identified as being critical. One essential region was spread over 10 bases and contained half of the SRE-1; however, the other half of the SRE-1 was not important for sterol regulation. The second essential region spanned four contiguous bases. These two critical elements are separated from each other by three nonessential bases. The results are interpreted to suggest that regulation of HMG-CoA reductase gene transcription by sterols requires additional or possibly separate factors from those required for sterol regulation of the low density lipoprotein receptor and HMG-CoA synthase promoters.
The completeness of propositional dynamic logic

Propositional modal logic of programs has been introduced by Fischer and Ladner [1], following ideas of Pratt [4]. We shall call it propositional dynamic logic (PDL) following the terminology of Harel, Meyer and Pratt. In the following we prove the completeness of a rather natural set of axioms for this logic and for an extension of it obtained by allowing the inverse operation which converts a program into its inverse.
Globalization of Education: An Introduction

Preface Chapter 1 Globalization of Education Chapter 2 Global Education Networks and Discourses: The World Bank and the Knowledge Economy Chapter 3 The Cyberschoolbus and Sesame Street Meet the Global Knowledge Economy: OECD and the United Nations Chapter 4 The Marketing of Knowledge: Multinational Learning Corporations, Global Assessment and Higher Education Chapter 5 From the Global to the Local: Global Progressive Education Models and INGOs Chapter 6 Religious and Indigenous Education Models: A Clash of Civilizations? Chapter 7 Global Migration and Language Policies Chapter 8 Globalization and Complex Thought: Is There a Theory of Educational Globalization?
Comments on "The Findings and Policy Implications of the GAO Report and the Urban Institute Hiring Audit" by Michael Fix

Michael Fix begins with a review of the circumstances that led to the issuance by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) of its congressionally mandate study of the implementation of the employer sanctions provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). I would only take exception with one passing remark in this section. It is the use of the word "appease" in his mention that IRCA provided $4 billion of federal funds "to appease states that feared that their services would be overrun by legalized aliens." Immigration policy has been held by the Supreme Court since 1892 (Elkie v. United States) to be solely the responsibility of the federal govern? ment. The full impact of the consequences of immigration policy-making, however, is played out in the cities and states where the immigrants actually live and work. Given that the legalization procedures involved at least 2.2 million persons (plus several million more illegal immigrants who did not apply or who were found not to be eligible for the amnesty) and that the full effects of the total number of additional family members of amnesty recip? ients who may eventually have their status adjusted is still unknown, the concerns of local and state governments over the derivative financial costs involved are very legitimate. Indeed, I have long believed that the federal government?as a matter of practice?should provide full funding to com? munities that are financially impacted by immigration just as it once did for local communities diat were adversely impacted by the employment effects associated with the placement of national defense installations around the country. If the federal government were obligated to assume these financial costs, policy-makers might be less mesmerized by the alleged benefits and act more responsibly if they also had to embrace considerations of the actual costs of their decisions.
Pattern Formation Stability and Collapse in 2D Driven Particle Systems

Interacting, multi-robot systems show increasing promise for advances in exploration and defense applications. Here, we model a non-linear system of self-propelled individuals interacting via a pairwise attractive and repulsive potential. Depending on the interaction parameters, the agents may disperse, accumulate into self-organizing structures such as flocks and vortices, or collapse onto themselves. Borrowing tools from Statistical Mechanics, we discuss the connections between the H-stable nature of the interaction potential and resulting aggregating patterns and asymptotic behaviors.
Familial Hamman-Rich Syndrome: Report of Eight Cases

A family group of eight members is described of which seven members have or had histologically proved Hamman-Rich syndrome. From the onset of symptoms, the age range is from four months to 39 years. The case data of a mother, daughter, and granddaughter with proved disease are presented. The latter two members are alive and well at the present time, being maintained on low doses of steroids. One of these patients was 3% years old when the diagnosis was confirmed by lung biopsy. She probably represents one of the youngest living patients with Hamman-Rich syndrome. Two brothers of this group had coexistent pulmonary fibrosis and bronchogenic cancer; an association in the familial disease not previously recorded, though isolated cases have been reported. It is now firmly established that Hamman-Rich syndrome can occur as a distinct familial entity that is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait
Assessment of coronary plaque progression in coronary computed tomography angiography using a semiquantitative score.

Objectives We sought to describe the progression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque over time by computed tomography (CT) angiography stratified by plaque composition and its association with cardiovascular risk profiles. Background Data on the progression of atherosclerosis stratified by plaque composition with the use of noninvasive assessment by CT are limited and hampered by high measurement variability. Methods This analysis included patients who presented with acute chest pain to the emergency department but initially showed no evidence of acute coronary syndromes. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced 64-slice CT at baseline and after 2 years with the use of a similar protocol. CT datasets were coregistered and assessed for the presence of calcified and noncalcified plaque at 1 mm cross sections of the proximal 40 mm of each major coronary artery. Plaque progression over time and its association with risk factors were determined. Measurement reproducibility and correlation to plaque volume was performed in a subset of patients. Results We included 69 patients (mean age 55 ± 12 years, 59% male patients) and compared 8,311 coregistered cross sections at baseline and follow-up. At baseline, any plaque, calcified plaque, and noncalcified were detected in 12.5%, 10.1%, and 2.4% of cross sections per patient, respectively. There was significant progression in the mean number of cross sections containing any plaque (16.5 ± 25.3 vs. 18.6 ± 25.5, p = 0.01) and noncalcified plaque (3.1 ± 5.8 vs. 4.4 ± 7.0, p = 0.04) but not calcified plaque (13.3 ± 23.1 vs. 14.2 ± 22.0, p = 0.2). In longitudinal regression analysis, the presence of baseline plaque, number of cardiovascular risk factors, and smoking were independently associated with plaque progression after adjustment for age, sex, and follow-up time interval. The semiquantitative score based on cross sections correlated closely with plaque volume progression (r = 0.75, p Conclusions Coronary plaque burden of patients with acute chest pain significantly increases during the course of 2 years. Progression over time is dependent on plaque composition and cardiovascular risk profile. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results and to determine the effect of medical treatment on progression.
Hygienic behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and the modulatory role of octopamine.

Honey bees, Apis mellifera, which perform hygienic behavior, quickly detect, uncap and remove diseased brood from the nest. This behavior, performed by bees 15-20 days old and prior to foraging, is likely mediated by olfactory cues. Because the neuromodulator octopamine (OA) plays a pivotal role in olfactory-based behaviors of honey bees, we examined whether bees bred for hygienic and nonhygienic behavior differed with regard to their OA expression and physiology. We compared the staining intensity of octopamine-immunoreactive (OA-ir) neurons in the deutocerebral region of the brain, medial to the antennal lobes, between hygienic and nonhygienic bees (based on genotype and phenotype). We also tested how the olfactory responses of the two lines, based on electroantennograms (EAGs), were affected by oral administration of OA and of epinastine, a highly specific OA antagonist. Our results revealed that bees expressing hygienic behavior (irrespective of genotype) possessed OA-ir neurons that exhibited more intense labeling than same-aged bees not performing the behavior. In bees bred for nonhygienic behavior, OA significantly increased the EAG response to low concentrations of diseased brood odor. Conversely, in bees bred for hygienic behavior, epinastine significantly reduced the magnitude of the EAG response, a reduction not observed in nonhygienic bees. Our results provide two lines of evidence that OA has the potential to facilitate the detection and response of honey bees to diseased brood. We discuss the contributions of OA for behavioral shaping and its ability to bias the nervous system to express one form of behavior over another.
L-valley-derived states in (001) GaSb/AlSb quantum wells and superlattices.

The energy levels of quantized states derived from the L valleys in GaSb/AlSb (001) quantum wells and superlattices are examined using the one-band Wannier orbital model. It is found that the intervalley mixing between the (1/2,1/2,1/2) and the (1/2,1/2,-1/2) L valleys plays a critical role in determining the electronic structure. Furthermore, an effective-mass approximation scheme is developed to analyze intervalley mixing in quantum-well problems. This scheme provides a good qualitative understanding of intervalley mixing in quantum-well systems, and its results compare favorably with those obtained by the Wannier orbital model.
Development of a Computer Model for Induction Hardening of Steel

Induction hardening is an important manufacturing process to control the mechanical properties of metal parts where surface hardness is enhanced while the core retains the toughness. This paper presents the modeling and simulation of the induction hardening processes with the finite element analysis. A coupled electromagnetic-thermal analysis is applied to the induction heating process. The temperature distributions in parts are obtained in heating and quenching process. The induction heating and quenching are highly nonlinear processes because the materials properties of the parts are temperature dependent. The final hardening process involves the determination of martensite volume content and hardness value. An algorithm is utilized to determine the volume fraction of diffusion controlled metal phase transformation and martensite content. Finally, the hardness value is converted from martensite content. Results for a complex surface hardening are presented. The effects of input power, frequency and air gap on final hardened pattern are systematically studied.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
The Role of Copper in Topa Quinone Biogenesis and Catalysis, as Probed by Azide Inhibition of a Copper Amine Oxidase from Yeast†

All known copper amine oxidases (CAOs) contain 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone (TPQ) as a redox cofactor. TPQ is derived posttranslationally from a specific tyrosine residue within the protein itself, and is utilized by the enzyme to oxidize amines to aldehydes. Several oxidative mechanisms for both turnover and the biogenesis of the cofactor have been proposed in recent years, which differ mainly in the nature of the interaction of oxygen with the enzyme. In this study, azide is used to probe the role of copper in catalysis and biogenesis, especially with respect to potential interactions between the metal and oxygen. During turnover, it is found that azide is a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to O(2), most consistent mechanistically with oxygen binding off the metal prior to reaction. During biogenesis, it is found that azide likely prohibits ligation of the precursor tyrosine to the copper, thus preventing the formation of this key intermediate. This result is consistent with previous proposals, where the copper-tyrosine unit is the species that undergoes reaction with O(2). In addition, it is found that oxygen consumption is kinetically uncoupled from TPQ formation; this leads to an expanded kinetic model for biogenesis, with important implications for previous results.
Regulation of oxygen sensing in peripheral arterial chemoreceptors.

Abstract The carotid bodies are a small pair of highly vascularized and well perfused organs located at each carotid artery bifurcation, strategically situated to sense oxygen in arterial blood as it leaves the heart. Carotid body glomus cells are identified as the primary oxygen sensors, which respond to changes in blood PO2 within milliseconds. Acute hypoxia causes a rapid increase in carotid sinus nerve (CSN) activity, providing afferent signals to the respiratory center in the brainstem. Glomus cells secrete numerous neurotransmitters that modulate CSN firing rates. This review will discuss major hypotheses that have emerged regarding acute oxygen sensing by glomus cells. In contrast, chronic responses to hypoxia are much slower, involving cytosolic reactions that take place over several minutes and nuclear reactions which occur over several hours. Converging concepts from different areas of research in oxygen sensing cells and tissues (including the carotid body) have been combined to describe molecular and biochemical changes that take place in the carotid body with chronic hypoxia. These include oxygen dependent proteolytic processes in the cytosol and gene transcription in the nucleus. In addition, cellular and nuclear responses to chronic hypoxia will be discussed.
Primary Pulmonary Neoplasms of Childhood: A Review

Primary tumors of the lung rarely occur in children. However, 230 well-documented cases, including the 2 presented in this review, have been identified in the English-language literature. One hundred fifty-one tumors in these reports were classified as malignant lesions and 79 as benign neoplasms. Bronchial "adenomas" constituted the largest group; most of these lesions were of the carcinoid variety, and 8% were definitely malignant. Forty-seven cases of bronchogenic carcinoma were reported in children under 16 years of age, although there were few squamous cell tumors (12%). Fifty-six percent of the benign tumors were classified as inflammatory pseudotumor. Most of the children in this collective series were seen with symptoms related to bronchial irritation or obstruction, such as cough, hemoptysis, atelectasis, or pneumonitis. Respiratory distress was an unusual symptom that was often associated with large tumors seen in the neonatal period. Approximately 20% of the children were totally symptomatic. The limited survival data that are available indicate that leiomyosarcoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma have a more favorable prognosis in children than in adults. Survival with bronchial carcinoid tumors (90%), bronchogenic carcinoma (30%), and pulmonary blastoma (45%) appears to parallel that for adults. The experience with pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma, as described in this review, emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and the use of combined modes of therapy in the approach to these malignancies. Despite the rarity of primary pulmonary neoplasms in children, this diagnosis should be considered in young patients with solitary pulmonary masses or persistent, atypical pulmonary symptoms. It is hoped that early diagnosis will result in an improved prognosis and prevent life-threatening complications.
Aging and limb alter the neuromuscular control of goal-directed movements

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the neuromuscular control of goal-directed movements is different for young and older adults with the upper and lower limbs. Twenty young (25.1 ± 3.9 years) and twenty older adults (71.5 ± 4.8 years) attempted to accurately match the displacement of their limb to a spatiotemporal target during ankle dorsiflexion or elbow flexion movements. We quantified neuromuscular control by examining the movement endpoint accuracy and variability, and the antagonistic muscle activity using surface electromyography (EMG). Our results indicate that older adults exhibit impaired endpoint accuracy with both limbs due to greater time variability. In addition, older adults exhibit greater EMG burst and lower EMG burst variability as well as lower coactivation of the antagonistic muscles. The impaired accuracy of older adults during upper limb movements was related to lower coactivation of the antagonistic muscles, whereas their impaired accuracy during lower limb movements was related to the amplified EMG bursts. The upper limb exhibited greater movement control than the lower limb, and different neuromuscular parameters were related to the accuracy and consistency for each limb. Greater endpoint error during upper limb movements was related to lower coactivation of the antagonistic muscles, whereas greater endpoint error during lower limb movements was related to the amplified EMG bursts. These findings indicate that the age-associated impairments in movement control are associated with altered activation of the involved antagonistic muscles. In addition, independent of age, the neuromuscular control of goal-directed movements is different for the upper and lower limbs.
SUPERPOROUS HYDROGELS: FAST RESPONSIVE HYDROGEL SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT Superporous hydrogels, hydrogels with pore sizes in the range of 100 μm and larger, were synthesized using N-isopropyl-acrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylamide (AM). The superporous hydrogels were synthesized by crosslinking polymerization of monomers in the presence of gas bubbles. The pores of superporous hydrogels were connected to each other to form open capillary channels, which provided fast response to the changes in the environmental temperature. Upon increase in temperature from 10°C to 65°C, the superporous hydrogel made from a monomer solution of NIPAM:AM = 9:1 shrank from the fully swollen state (volume of 36 cm3) to the fully collapsed state (volume of 6.5 cm3) in 72±14 sec. When the temperature was changed back to 10°C, the superporous hydrogel swelled to 36 cm3 in 78±15 sec. This deswelling-swelling cycle was repeated many times without changes in the thermo-reversible property of the superporous hydrogel. The response time of the superporous hydrogels was thousand times faster than that ...
Spectrally stable matrices

Abstract Given an n × n complex matrix A define the matrix polytope determined by A as P (A)={AD | D= diag (d 1 ,…,d n ),−1⩽d i ⩽1,i=1,…,n} . We investigate the class of matrices A such that every eigenvalue of every member of P (A) is contained in the convex hull of the eigenvalues of the extreme points of P (A) .
On stress-state dependent plasticity modeling: Significance of the hydrostatic stress, the third invariant of stress deviator and the non-associated flow rule

It has been shown that the plastic response of many materials, including some metallic alloys, depends on the stress state. In this paper, we describe a plasticity model for isotropic materials, which is a function of the hydrostatic stress as well as the second and third invariants of the stress deviator, and present its finite element implementation, including integration of the constitutive equations using the backward Euler method and formulation of the consistent tangent moduli. Special attention is paid for the adoption of the non-associated flow rule. As an application, this model is calibrated and verified for a 5083 aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman porous plasticity model, which is widely used to simulate the void growth process of ductile fracture, is extended to include the effects of hydrostatic stress and the third invariant of stress deviator on the matrix material.
Rhenium(I) compounds bound by tripodal ligands of pyridine and N-methylimidazole.

The reaction of Re(CO)5Br with tris(2-pyridyl)methanol (tpmOH) leads to unexpectedly complex chemistry with three new compounds forming instead of a single product. In compound 1, the tpmOH ligand binds to the metal in the N,N′,N″-mode; 2 has tpmO− bound in the N,N′,O-mode; while 3 is a dimer with the tpmO− ligand utilizing each of the four donor atoms to bridge the two metal centers. The analogous methyl ether ligands, tris(2-pyridyl)methoxymethane (tpmOMe) or tris[2-(l-methylimidazolyl)]methoxymethane (timmOMe), each yielded a single product, 4 and 5, respectively, bound in the N,N′,N″-mode, and are new leads for potential radiotherapeutic agents. All compounds have been structurally characterized.
Diffusion agency establishment: The case of friendly ice cream and public-sector diffusion processes

Abstract Examining diffusion processes from the perspective of the market and infrastructure context focuses attention on the decisions made by suppliers or distributors of a new innovation. Public sector innovations have a market and infrastructure context but initial understanding of this context is simplified by using a private sector innovation: Friendly Ice Cream, a product and marketing concept sponsored by a single propagator entity. The location and timing of diffusion agency establishments (shops) supports the importance of logistical factors and capital availability but reveals the minimal importance of increases in urban population for an innovation with low thresholds of profitability.
Mutagenicity of some methylated benzo[a]pyrene derivatives

Abstract The mutagenicity of benzo[ a ]pyrene (BP) and a number of methylated derivatives towards Salmonella typhimurium has been tested. The most mutagenic derivative tested was 6-methylbenzo[ a ]pyrene which produced about twice the number of revertants as did BP. 11-Methylbenzo[ a ]pyrene was slightly more mutagenic than BP. All the other compounds tested (7-, 8-, 9- and 10-methylbenzo[ a ]pyrene and 7,8- and 7,10-dimethylbenzo[ a ]pyrene) were significantly less active than benzo[ a ]pyrene. With the exception of 6-emthylbenzo[ a ]pyrene, these results closely parallel the known carcinogenicity of the methylated benzo[ a ]pyrenes, and support the view that metabolic activation of BP may involve the 7–10 positions which are blocked in the methylated compounds.
Continuous-wave-based optical imaging of breast: a pilot clinical study

A pilot clinical study on ten female volunteers is reported using our multi-channel frequency-domain optical imager. Seven of these patients were previously identified with tumors or microcalcifications by x-ray and/or ultrasound mammography. These tumors had a size between 5 and 38 mm. Using our optical imager and reconstruction methods we were able to detect all tumors that had been identified by x-ray and/or ultrasound mammography. The quantification of our improved scattering images shows a clear differentiation between benign and malignant tumors. A comparison between our results and x-ray/ultrasound results is also given.
Venous Leg Ulcerations: A Treatment Update

Selecting the appropriate treatment for venous leg ulcerations is essential for optimal wound healing and patient quality of life. Compression therapy remains the mainstay of treatment for these wounds. Compression methods should be carefully selected and tailored for compatibility with patients’ daily life. Pain management should not be neglected. When response to compression therapy is limited, adjuvant therapy such as medication, debridement, or surgical procedures should be considered on an individual basis.
Sociocultural Influences on African-American Racial Identification

This paper examines the relative impact of two sources of sociocultural influence on racial identification. Using interviews with 225 African-American adults (Thompson Sanders, 1994), the relative influence of within-group vs. intergroup interaction variables was assessed. The data were collected using a structured interview protocol and a 30-item racial identification questionnaire. Information on the level and quality of intragroup interaction, experiences with race relations, political activism, age, gender, income, education, and orientation on four parameters of racial identification—psychological, physical, cultural, and sociopolitical—was collected. The results suggest that within-group contact variables have a strong association with the psychological and physical parameters of racial identification. The extent and quality of intergroup interaction with non-African Americans were associated with the sociopolitical parameter. Cultural racial identification was largely determined by demographic variables. These data suggest a model of racial identification based on a complex set of within-group, intergroup, and demographic variables.
Asymptomatic, radiologically detected chondrometaplasia in the temporomandibular joint

Asymptomatic loose bodies were detected in the temporomandibular joint of a 62-year-old woman during an examination before comprehensive dental care. The radiologic interpretation was synovial chondrometaplasia (synovial osteochondromatosis). A histologic diagnosis was not obtained, because surgery was unwarranted in view of the lack of symptoms and the benign differential diagnosis. Review of the literature revealed 62 reported cases of temporomandibular joint chondrometaplasia, all of which included one or more of the following: swelling, pain, joint noise, and limited mandibular movement. These reports have described this entity as a rare lesion, but the rate of reports has increased, perhaps because of greater practitioner awareness and increased sensitivity of diagnostic tests.
The Basin of Entrainment of Human Gait Under Mechanical Perturbation

Using Anklebot, a therapeutic robot module, we perturbed human gait by applying external torque to the human ankle at various frequencies. We observed that with a properly designed perturbation, 8 subjects out of 10 exhibited entrained gaits: their gait frequencies were adapted to the frequency of mechanical perturbation, and they synchronized their ankle actuation with the external torque supplied by the robot. This preliminary result suggests that a limit-cycle oscillator, a plausible element of the coupled system of central nervous system and musculo-skeletal periphery, plays a significant role in the neuro-motor execution of human locomotion. The entrainment of human gait by periodic torque from a robotic aid may provide a novel approach to walking therapy that is uniquely supportive of normal biological function.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The use of coloring ingredients in fatty food products. Their physiology, chemistry, and stability

Vegetable oil suspensions of ethyl bixin andbeta-carotene, to which vitamin A may be added, have excellent stability and are readily adaptable for use in coloring margarine and other fatty food products. Based on normal finished product turnover these colorants maintain adequate stability. In frying fats and popcorn oils only FD&C Yellows 3 and 4 are completely stable.
A Crisis Like No Other? Anti-Americanism at the Time of the Iraq War:

This article tests a series of hypotheses that probe whether the crisis over Iraq has profoundly altered the popular perceptions of the United States abroad. Using survey data from Britain, France,...
Maxi-K channels in plasma cells.

Whole-cells, excised outside-in and outside-out membrane patches were employed to study the electrophysiological properties of plasma cells isolated from the Harderian (lacrimal) gland of chicken. The study revealed that the whole-cell currents are dominated by outward rectifying currents which display slow inactivation times of the order of seconds. Records from excised outside-in and outside-out patches consistently revealed one channel type, a maxi-K channel. These maxi-K channels were shown to be both voltage and calcium sensitive. The single channel conductance of the maxi-K channel, with KCl solutions on both sides of the patch, ranged from 200–265 pS (n=26). Both whole-cell currents and single channel activity (outside-out) were reduced by the introduction of 10 mM TEA in the bath. The ease with which a large number of plasma cells can be isolated free of undifferentiated B-lymphocytes makes this preparation ideal for studying the relationship between the electrophysiological properties and immunoglobulin secretion in plasma cells.