cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neither Cognitive, Nor Consistency – A Comment on Cognitive Consistency Theory in Social Psychology: A Paradigm Reconsidered, by Kruglanski, et al.

In their article Cognitive Consistency Theory in Social Psychology: A Paradigm Reconsidered, Arie Kruglanski and colleagues effectively call for the retirement of the family of theories known as cognitive consistency theories, a move they characterize as a paradigm shift. We have deep reservations about the basic endeavor that underlies the target article. Seeking to supplant the CC paradigm with a model of affective reaction seems doomed to fail because affective arousal is inconsequential to the core essence and purpose of the family of CC theories. We are also unconvinced by the target article’s empirical critique. The manner in which the authors frame the CC paradigm seems to set it up for failure. The authors conceive of consistency in mechanical and narrow terms of information updating, they posit that any informational inconsistency should universally trigger a negative affective reaction, and imply that the arousal should overwhelm any other contemporaneous psychological state. We are also unimpressed by the Expectancy-Value Model proposed by the target article. The model’s linear and uni-directional flow robs it of the capability of capturing the bi-directional reasoning that lies at the core of structural dynamics, and which affords the ability to reconstruct the representation and restore the state of equilibrium. We also wonder about the novelty of the model in light of extant research on appraisal models of emotion, self-verification approaches, Subjective Expected Utility Theory, and even models of animal emotion. The authors of the target article would have us jettison the rich and impactful CCT in favor of a reductionist theory of affective reactions to good and bad news.
Water Law in Kansas History

In this article, I will explore how Kansas law historically has been applied to the most fundamental of our natural resources: Water.
Therapeutic use of regulatory T cells for graft‐versus‐host disease

Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) represent a CD4+ T-cell lineage that plays a critical role in restraining immune responses to self and foreign antigens and associated inflammation. Due to the suppressive function of Treg cells, inhibition or ablation of these cells can be used to boost the immunity against malignant cells. On the other hand, augmenting the activity of Treg cells can be employed for the treatment of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases and allogeneic conflicts associated with transplantation. Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this review, we describe basic biological properties of Treg cells and their role in GvHD. We focus on the application of adoptive transfer of Treg cells and the therapeutic modulation of their activity for the prevention and treatment of GvHD in pre-clinical models and in clinical settings. We also discuss the main obstacles to applying Treg cell-based therapies for GvHD in clinical practice.
Stroke Stat: Notification System for In-Hospital Acute Strokes (P3.163)

Objective: To: 1) Assess the existing management protocol and determinants of delays in acute inpatient stroke evaluations. 2) Standardize the protocol for inpatient code-stroke. 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the new inpatient code-stroke protocol, “Stroke Stat.” Background: It is well established that inpatient acute strokes have delays in evaluation and worse outcomes. Our hospital has two separate inpatient campuses making timely evaluation and imaging challenging. Additionally, the complexity of our paging system makes it unclear to other clinicians which neurology resident should be paged for acute inpatient stroke evaluations. Design/Methods: Between 11/2016 and 6/2017, the time, recipient, and contents of pages for all inpatient code-strokes were recorded. In 6/2017, we conducted hospital-wide education programs for clinicians and nursing staff regarding recognition of acute strokes and introduced our new protocol “Stroke Stat.” This is a one-page notification system that simultaneously alerts the stroke fellow, neurology resident, CT technologist, and nurse managers on both campuses. Stroke Stat was implemented on 7/1/2017, and we evaluated the page quality and notification-to-imaging time before and after 7/1/2017. Results: Between 11/2016 and 6/2017, 84 inpatient code-stroke pages were recorded with time of page available in 30/84 cases. The pages were sent to the incorrect recipients in 35/84 cases (43%) and lacked pertinent patient information in 34/37 (92%). Six “Stroke Stat” pages were activated between 7/2017 and 9/2017 and all notified the appropriate team members with adequate information. Notification-to-imaging time decreased from an average of 29.4 minutes (range 4–67) pre “Stroke Stat” to 19.8 minutes (range 5–46) post-intervention (mean difference 9.9 minutes, 95% CI −3 to 22.9, not significant, imprecise, small sample). Data collection and analyses are ongoing. Conclusions: We developed “Stroke Stat” as a potential protocol for timely management of inpatient acute strokes. Updated analyses of effectiveness of “Stroke-Stat” will be presented. Disclosure: Dr. Alderson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ayub has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ho has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kumar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Selim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Narayanaswami has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with expert medical reports for Advanced Medical, Serve on Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA. Dr. Narayanaswami has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Associate Editor, Muscle and Nerve.
Effects of thermal maturity and chemical composition of kerogen on its dielectric constant

ABSTRACTReliable formation evaluation using borehole geophysical measurements in organic-rich mudrocks requires knowledge about the physical properties of kerogen. For instance, estimates of water-...
"El coste de estar vivo". Sobre la poesía de Isabella Panfido. Antología bilingüe Italiano-Español

Presentamos aqui, en edicion bilingue italiano-espanol, una breve antologia de poesias de Isabella Panfido, poeta y periodista veneciana, que ha publicado diversos libros de poesias y un libro de narraciones sobre su ciudad natal, Venecia: Lagunario. El azar ha querido que las referencias poeticas que hallamos en Casa di donne a las historicas y traumaticas inundaciones del 1966 que entonces pusieron en serio peligro la ciudad, desgraciadamente sean aun dramaticamente actuales.
Proton Pump Inhibitors, But Not H2-receptor Antagonists, Are Associated With Incident Fractures Among Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background Fractures are a common and burdensome problem among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently used after kidney transplantation and have been associated with increased fracture risk in the general population. This study aimed to determine whether PPI use is associated with incidence of major fractures in KTRs. Methods Using the Wisconsin Allograft Recipient Database, we identified 155 KTRs with a major fracture that occurred at least 12 months after transplantation. Controls were selected using incidence-density sampling. Use of PPIs and histamine 2-receptor antagonists (H2RA) during the year before the index date were identified. Results A total of 155 cases were matched to 685 controls. Within 1 year before the index date, 68% of cases and 52% of controls used a PPI, and 16% of cases and 11% of controls used an H2RA. PPI use was associated with higher incidence of major fractures in unadjusted analysis (odds ratio [OR], 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6-3.5) and in adjusted analyses controlling for demographic and transplant-related covariates and use of corticosteroids, bisphosphonates, vitamin D and calcium supplements (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-3.1). H2RA use was not associated with incidence of major fractures in adjusted analyses (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.5-1.8). The associations between PPI use and fractures remained similar in analyses limited to spine and hip fractures. Conclusions Use of PPIs, but not H2RAs, is associated with a higher risk of major fractures among KTRs. Clinicians should individualize PPI use in KTRs, evaluating the risks and benefits of prescribing and continuing PPIs in KTRs.
Variability in the size of the retroperitoneal oblique corridor: A magnetic resonance imaging-based analysis.

Background A minimally invasive approach to the L2-S1 disc spaces through a single, left-sided, retroperitoneal oblique corridor has been previously described. However, the size of this corridor varies, limiting access to the disc space in certain patients. Here, the authors retrospectively reviewed lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 300 patients to better define the size and variability of the retroperitoneal oblique corridor. Methods Lumbar spine MRI from 300 patients was reviewed. The size of the retroperitoneal oblique corridor from L2-S1 was measured. It was defined as the (1) distance between the medial aspect of the aorta and the lateral aspect of the psoas muscle from L2-L5 and (2) the distance between the midpoint of the L5-S1 disc and the medial aspect of the nearest major vessel on the left at L5-S1. In addition, the rostral-caudal location of the iliac bifurcation was measured. Results The size of the retroperitoneal oblique corridor at L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1 was, respectively, 17.3 ± 6.4 mm, 16.2 ± 6.3 mm, 14.8 ± 7.8 cm, and 13.0 ± 8.3 mm. The incidence of corridor size <1 cm at L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1 was 10.3%, 16.0%, 30.0%, and 39.3%, respectively. The iliac bifurcation was most commonly found behind the L4 vertebral body (n = 158, 52.67%) followed by the L4/5 disc space (n = 74, 24.67%). Conclusion The size of the retroperitoneal oblique corridor diminishes in a rostral-caudal direction, often limiting access to the L4/5 and L5/S1 disc spaces.
Adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate. Demonstration of a binding site specific for the cyclic nucleotide.

Abstract An extract of bovine brain exhibits a binding site specific for cyclic AMP. Binding of labeled cyclic AMP was competitive with respect to carrier cyclic AMP and its dibutyryl derivative, but essentially not with other nucleotides. The binding component was sensitive to proteolytic enzymes and appeared to be associated with a protein. The amount of cyclic AMP bound was proportional to the concentration of protein and to that of cyclic AMP. Binding was most efficient around pH 6.5. The binding protein was found in all the brain areas examined. Subcellular fractionation of the cortex showed that the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions had the most activity and the high speed supernatant fluid the highest specific activity.
Single-Shot Neural Relighting and SVBRDF Estimation.

We present a novel physically-motivated deep network for joint shape and material estimation, as well as relighting under novel illumination conditions, using a single image captured by a mobile phone camera. Our physically-based modeling leverages a deep cascaded architecture trained on a large-scale synthetic dataset that consists of complex shapes with microfacet SVBRDF. In contrast to prior works that train rendering layers subsequent to inverse rendering, we propose deep feature sharing and joint training that transfer insights across both tasks, to achieve significant improvements in both reconstruction and relighting. We demonstrate in extensive qualitative and quantitative experiments that our network generalizes very well to real images, achieving high-quality shape and material estimation, as well as image-based relighting. Code, models and data will be publicly released.
John Campbell’s “Short Papers” for Lord Bute in the London Evening Post

John Campbell’s (1708-1775) biographer, Guido Abbattista, has argued that Campbell sought to publish a pamphlet, Thoughts on Public Affairs, in 1761. However, a review of Campbell’s private correspondence in 1761 with the future prime minister, John Stuart, 3rd earl of Lord Bute (1713-1792), indicates that the historian sought not to publish a pamphlet, but newspaper articles that promote the king’s new reign and his administration. Six of these articles have been found in the London Evening Post, and they use ideas and language from Henry St. John, 1st viscount Bolingbroke to represent George III as a Patriot King, to advance the Tory policies of Bute’s future administration, and to encourage a prospective peace to the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). These six, new attributions to Campbell not only expand his extensive canon, but also portray his significant role in offering the rhetoric and depicting the ideas of George III’s early reign and Bute’s ascendency to premiership.
Blood Conservation and Hemostasis in Cardiac Surgery: A Survey of Practice Variation and Adoption of Evidence-Based Guidelines.

Background Blood conservation and hemostasis are integral parts of reducing avoidable blood transfusions and the associated morbidity and mortality. Despite the publication of blood conservation guidelines for cardiac surgery, evidence suggests persistent variability in practice patterns. Members of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) created a survey to audit conformance to existing guidelines and use the results to help narrow the evidence-to-practice gap. Methods Members of the SCA and its Continuous Practice Improvement (CPI)- Blood Conservation Work Group developed a 48-item Blood Conservation and Hemostasis in Cardiac Surgery (BCHCS) survey. The questionnaire included the components of the Anesthesia Quality Institute's (AQI) composite measure AQI49. The survey was distributed to the entire SCA membership by e-mail via the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) Consortium between the fall of 2017 and early 2018. Results Of 3152 SCA members, 536 returned surveys for a response rate of 17%. Most responders worked at academic institutions. The median transfusion trigger after cardiopulmonary bypass was hemoglobin (Hgb) 7.0 to 8.0 g/dL. There are 4 components to AQI49, and the composite conformance to all of them was low due to 1 specific component: the use of transfusion algorithms supplemented with point-of-care (POC) testing. There was good conformance to the other 3 components of AQI49: use of antifibrinolytics, minimization of hemodilution and use of red cell salvage. Overall, practices with a multidisciplinary patient blood management (PBM) team were the most successful in meeting all 4 AQI49 criteria. Conclusions The survey demonstrated widespread adoption of several best practices, including the tolerance of lower hemoglobin transfusion triggers, use of antifibrinolytics, minimization of hemodilution, and use of red cell salvage. The survey also confirms that gaps remain in preoperative anemia management and the use of transfusion algorithms supplemented with POC hemostasis testing. Serial use of this survey can be used to identify barriers to implementation and audit the effectiveness of interventions described in this article. This instrument could also help harmonize local, regional, and national efforts and become an essential component of an implementation strategy for PBM in cardiac surgery.
Lipid Formation by Aqueous Fischer-Tropsch-Type Synthesis over a Temperature Range of 100 to 400 °C

The formation of lipid compounds during anaqueous Fischer-Tropsch-type reaction was studied withsolutions of oxalic acid as the carbon and hydrogensource. The reactions were conducted in stainlesssteel vessels by heating the oxalic acid solution atdiscrete temperatures from 100 to 400 °C, atintervals of 50 °C for two days each. Themaximum lipid yield, especially for oxygenatedcompounds, is in the window of 150–250 °C. At atemperature of 100 °C only a trace amount oflipids was detected. At temperatures above150 °C the lipid components ranged from C12to >C33 and included n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkyl formates, n-alkanals, n-alkanones, n-alkanes, andn-alkenes, all with essentially no carbon numberpreference. The n-alkanes increased inconcentration over the oxygenated compounds attemperatures of 200 °C and above, with a slightreduction in their carbon number ranges due tocracking. It was also noted that the n-alkanoicacids increased while n-alkanols decreased withincreasing temperature above 200 °C. Attemperatures above 300 °C synthesis competeswith cracking and reforming reactions. At 400 °Csignificant cracking was observed and polynucleararomatic hydrocarbons and their alkylated homologswere detected. The results of this work suggest thatthe formation of lipid compounds by aqueous FTTreactions proceeds by insertion of a CO group at theterminal end of a carboxylic acid functionality toform n-oxoalkanoic acids, followed by reductionto n-alkanoic acids, to n-alkanals, thento n-alkanols. The n-alkenes areintermediate homologs for n-alkan-2-ones andn-alkanes. This proposed mechanism for aqueousFTT synthesis differs from the surface-catalyzedstepwise FT process (i.e., gaseous) of polymerization of methylene reported in the literature.
Design ideas, reflection, and professional identity: how graduate students explore the idea generation process

Within design thinking, designers are responsible for generating, testing, and refining design ideas as a means to refine the design problem and arrive at an effective solution. Thus, understanding one’s individual idea generation experiences and processes can be seen as a component of professional identity for designers, which involves the integration of knowledge, action, and being in support of the professional self. Using written journal responses from graduate students in an introductory course in instructional design, this study explored how students used reflection to reconstruct experiences relating to the emergence of design ideas. Findings indicate that students were able to use reflection in support of professional identity development concerning design ideas, although attention to emotional aspects was lacking and many struggled to move from descriptive writing to meaning-making. Implications for professional identity development for designers and for future research are discussed.
Synthesis of fatty acids in outer and inner membranes of mitochondria.

Fatty acids can be synthesized in mitochondrial membranes of rat liver either by elongation or by synthesis de novo. The outer membranes incorporate greater amounts of substrate into fatty acids than do the inner membranes. Outer membranes synthesize 6- and 8-carbon fatty acids completely de novo, while smaller amounts of 10-carbon acids are produced by the mechanism de novo. The reactions de novo utilize acetyl coenzyme A more effectively than malonyl coenzyme A, and synthesis de novo occurs in the absence of exogenous ATP. Elongation, which produces fatty acids 14 carbon atoms long and longer, depends on added ATP, and acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA are incorporated about equally. Synthesis de novo of shorter chain fatty acids by outer membranes continues in the presence of ATP and the concomitant elongation reactions. Inner membranes synthesize only longer fatty acids by elongation. If synthesis de novo of fatty acids occurs in the inner membranes, these acids might be removed by oxidation. The ATP concentrations in these experiments were compared with the levels of ATP produced by actively respiring liver mitochondria. During metabolically adverse conditions within the cell, the capacity for manufacturing fatty acids by elongation may fluctuate with the ATP levels whereas synthesis de novo continues.
Effector CD4+ T cells generate intermediate caspase activity and cleavage of caspase-8 substrates.

Caspase-8 activation promotes cell apoptosis but is also essential for T cell activation. The extent of caspase activation and substrate cleavage in these divergent processes remains unclear. We show that murine effector CD4 + T cells generated levels of caspase activity intermediate between unstimulated T cells and apoptotic populations. Both caspase-8 and caspase-3 were partially activated in effector T cells, which was reflected in cleavage of the caspase-8 substrates, c-FLIP L , receptor interacting protein 1, and to a lesser extent Bid, but not the caspase-3 substrate inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase. Th2 effector CD4 + T cells manifested more caspase activity than did Th1 effectors, and caspase blockade greatly decreased initiation of cell cycling. The current findings define the level of caspase activity and substrates during initiation of T cell cycling.
Assessing the performance and scalability of a novel multilevel k-nomial allgather on CORE- Direct systems

In this paper, we propose a novel allgather algorithm, Reindexed Recursive K-ing (RRK), which leverages flexibility in the algorithm's tree topology and ability to make asynchronous progress coupled with Core-Direct communication offload capability to optimize the MPI_Allgather for Core-Direct enabled systems. In particular, the RRK introduces a reindexing scheme which ensures contiguous data transfers while adding only a single additional send and receive operation for any radix, k, or communicator size, N. This allows us to improve algorithm scalability by avoiding the use of a scatter/gather elements (SGE) list on InfiniBand networks. The implementations of the RRK algorithm and its evaluation shows that it performs and scales well on Core-Direct systems for a wide range of message sizes and various communicator configurations.
Sequence Heteroplasmy of D-Loop and rRNA Coding Regions in Mitochondrial DNA from Holstein Cows of Independent Maternal Lineages

A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragment containing the D-loop, phenylalanine tRNA, valine tRNA, and 12S and 16 rRNA genes was cloned and sequenced from 36 cows of 18 maternal lineages to identify the polymorphic sites within those regions and to detect the existence of heteroplasmic mtDNA in cows. Seventeen variable sites were observed within the D-loop and rRNA coding regions of bovine mtDNA within a 2.5-kb span. The hypervariable sites in the D-loop and rRNA coding regions were identified at nucleotide positions 169, 216, and 1594. Heteroplasmic mtDNA (variable mtDNA within a tissue) existed extensively in cows and was detected within the above regions in 11 of 36 cows sequenced. The insertion, deletion, and nucleotide transversion polymorphisms were found only in homopolymer regions. Heteroplasmy was observed frequently and seemingly is persistent in cattle. Though heteroplasmy was demonstrated, most lineages and mtDNA sites showed no heteroplasmy.
From Forced Tolerance to Forced Busing: Wartime Intercultural Education and the Rise of Black Educational Activism in Boston.

In this article, Zoe Burkholder explores the historical interplay of the emergence of tolerance education in the United States and the rise of black educational activism in Boston. By uncovering a pointed lack of tolerance education in Boston and a widespread promotion of tolerance education in other cities in the early half of the twentieth century, the author reveals how racial, historical, and political factors complicated tolerance education's local implementation in Boston. Informed by local racialized politics in the 1940s, the predominantly Irish Catholic teaching force in Boston declined to teach lessons on racial tolerance that were popular nationwide during World War II. Burkholder argues that this site of active teacher resistance against tolerance education provided fertile ground for black educational activism in Boston during the civil rights movement. These findings presage the well-documented virulence of white protest to school integration in Boston and complicate our understanding of int...
Mammalian metaphase chromosomes with high molecular weight DNA isolated at pH 10.5.

MAMMALIAN metaphase chromosomes may be isolated either at an acid pH1–4 or at nearly neutral pH5–7. The only exception is the method of Corry and Cole8, performed at pH 9.5. We used alkaline sucrose velocity gradients to determine the size distributions of DNA (molecular weight) in metaphase chromosomes in an attempt to understand their arrangement. Initial experiments yielded 1 × 106 molecular weight DNA (single stranded) pieces regardless of chromosome size. When metaphase cells are lysed directly on the gradient a high molecular weight (1 × 108 for single stranded) is obtained. We therefore examined a large number of chromosome isolation procedures and cytological conditions to determine their effects on the molecular weight of the DNA.
Characterization of tumor angiogenesis with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and biodegradable macromolecular contrast agents in mice

The efficacy of polydisulfide-based biodegradable macromolecular contrast agents for characterizing tumor angiogenesis was investigated in a mouse model using DCE-MRI. Biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents, Gd-DTPA cystamine copolymers (GDCC) and Gd-DTPA cystine copolymers (GDCP), with molecular weights of 20 and 70 KDa were used in the study. Gd(DTPA-BMA) and albumin-(Gd-DTPA) were used as the controls. The DCE-MRI studies were performed in nude mice bearing MDA PCa 2b prostate tumor xenografts. Tumor angiogenic kinetic parameters, including endothelial transfer coefficient (KPS), fractional tumor plasma volume (fPV) and permeability surface area product (PS), were estimated from the DCE-MRI data using a two-compartment model. The KPS and fPV values estimated by the biodegradable macromolecular contrast agents were between those estimated by Gd(DTPA-BMA) and albumin-(Gd-DTPA). The parameters estimated by the agent with slow degradation rate and high molecular weight, GDCP-70 (KPS = 2.09 ± 0.50 ml/min/100 cc and fPV = 0.075 ± 0.021), were closer to those by albumin-(Gd-DTPA) (KPS = 1.43 ± 0.64 ml/min/100 cc and fPV = 0.044 ± 0.007) than by other agents with relatively low molecular weight or rapid degradation rate. The polydisulfide based biodegradable macromolecular contrast agents are promising for characterizing tumor vascularity and angiogenesis with DCE-MRI.
A Convenient Tertiary Amine Synthesis. Use of Methylenedimethylammonium Trifluoroacetate

Abstract Methylenedimethylammonium trifluoroacetate and related Mannich reagents have received rather little attention in view of the novel applications conceptually possible for these salts.1 Specifically, these reagents offer two potential advantages to the usual approach, enhanced reactivity and employment of aprotic conditions. We wished to explore the latter concept by coupling the title reagent with various organometallic reagents.
Hyperuricemia, hypertension, and proteinuria associated with high-altitude polycythemia

Chronic exposure to high altitude is associated with the development of erythrocytosis, proteinuria, and, in some cases, hyperuricemia. We examined the relationship between high-altitude polycythemia and proteinuria and hyperuricemia in Cerro de Pasco, Peru (altitude, 4,300 m). We studied 25 adult men with hematocrits less than 65% and 27 subjects with excessive erythrocytosis (EE; hematocrit > 65%) living in Cerro de Pasco, Peru and compared them with 28 control subjects living in Lima, Peru (at sea level) and after 48 hours of exposure to high altitude. Serum urate levels were significantly elevated in patients with EE at altitude, and gout occurred in 4 of 27 of these subjects. Urate level strongly correlated with hematocrit (r = 0.71; P < 0.0001). Urate production (24-hour urine urate excretion and urine urate-creatinine ratio) was increased in this group compared with those at sea level. Fractional urate excretion was not increased, and fractional lithium excretion was reduced, in keeping with increased proximal reabsorption of filtrate. Significantly higher blood pressures and decreased renin levels in the EE group were in keeping with increased proximal sodium reabsorption. Serum urate levels correlated with mean blood pressure (r = 0.50; P < 0.0001). Significant proteinuria was more prevalent in the EE group despite normal renal function. Hyperuricemia is common in subjects living at high altitude and associated with EE, hypertension, and proteinuria. The increase in uric acid levels appears to be caused by increased urate generation secondary to systemic hypoxia, although a relative impairment in renal excretion also may contribute.
Mood and Ambulatory Monitoring of Physical Activity Patterns in Youth with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Abstract Study Objective To provide initial insight into physical activity patterns and predictors of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in youth with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by using a multisensor activity monitor. Design Cross-sectional study analyzing baseline MVPA data using real-time continuous monitoring of physical activity. Body mass index (BMI) and depressive symptoms were examined as predictors of MVPA. Setting A large, urban children's hospital in the United States. Participants Thirty-five youth (aged 12 to 21 years) previously diagnosed with PCOS (mean BMI = 38.0 kg/m2; mean age = 15.4 years, 79% white) who were participants in a behavioral lifestyle intervention. Main Outcome Measures Total steps, total MVPA, longest continuous bout of MVPA, and frequency of MVPA bouts lasting for 5 to 9 minutes and 10 or more minutes. Results Sixty percent of youth averaged at least 1 daily MVPA bout lasting 10 or more minutes, and 14% averaged a daily MVPA bout lasting 30 or more minutes. BMI was negatively correlated with MVPA bout duration (P = .04). Parental ratings of depression, but not self-report ratings, were predictive of participants' total MVPA (β = −.46; P = .01), number of 5- to 9-minute bouts (β = −.39; P = .03), and bouts of 10 or more minutes (β = −.35; P = .05). Conclusion Youth with PCOS may benefit from being prescribed multiple bouts of MVPA lasting less than 30 continuous minutes to meet national recommendations and achieve health benefits. BMI and parental endorsement of child's depression symptoms may be important to consider when assessing and prescribing MVPA to youth with PCOS.
Personalized Medicine for Effective Alzheimer Disease Treatment

Treatments for Alzheimer disease—even treatments that minimally modify the disease—have remained stubbornly elusive. Although hypotheses concerning a disease mechanism have resulted in target-engaging drugs that have been tested in large clinical trials, the results of all trials to date have been negative. Most of the rethinking prompted by these clinical trial failures has driven researchers to reexamine their hypotheses concerning the disease mechanism and to initiate trials earlier in the course of the disease. 1 However, another reason for the apparent failure of large clinical trials to identify effective treatments may be the erroneous assumption that Alzheimer disease is a single clinical entity. A complete risk profile of a patient with Alzheimer disease reveals vast variation in risk markers that may serve to guide treatment. Associating diseases that require different treatment strategies may obscure small responsive subgroups. The data set that defines a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer disease is becoming increasingly rich. These data include numerous genetic variants, some of which are rare, while others are more frequent. The most well-recognized variant is APOE e4, which exerts its effect in a dose-dependent manner. Each APOE e4 allele increases a person’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer disease by about a decade compared with the general population. Risk variants with smaller effect size than APOE e4 include noncoding changes in ABCA7, BIN1, CASS4, CD33, CD2AP, CELF1, CLU, CR1, DSG2, EPHA1, FERMT2, HLA-DRB5-DBR1, INPP5D, MS4A, MEF2C, NME8, PICALM, PTK2B, SLC24H4-RIN3, SORL1, and ZCWPW1 and coding variants in PLD3 and TREM2. 2 Risk variants are not uniformly distributed in the population; therefore, the likelihood of carrying a specific genetic variant depends on one’s genetic background. Ascertaining the presence of these variants may shape the choice of treatment strategies because some of these genes may result in opportunities for effective drug treatments for carriers of the variant. For example, variants in genes related to inflammation may suggest a treatment cocktail that includes medications that suppress
Postsurgical inflammatory neuropathy: a report of five cases.

Abstract Background Clinical and pathologic descriptions of postsurgical inflammatory neuropathy have been reported but this condition is still under recognized. Methods We reviewed 5 cases of a biopsy-proven inflammatory neuropathy that occurred within 30 days after surgical procedures. These patients were seen at one center in a 2-year period. Results All patients developed neuropathy symptoms with time delay between the surgery and the neuropathy onset. In all, the symptoms progressed up to the time of evaluation. Electrophysiological studies revealed mononeuropathy or asymmetrical polyneuropathy with active denervation. Nerve biopsies showed ischemic injury and perivascular inflammatory collections in all cases. All patients were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone and four of them showed clinical improvement. The non-responsive patient did not receive immunotherapy until 2 years after neuropathy onset. Conclusions The report illustrates that focal or asymmetrical neuropathy is typical of postsurgical inflammatory neuropathy and has a favorable outcome after intravenous corticosteroid treatment. The report underscores the importance for considering potentially treatable inflammatory neuropathies in the post-surgical setting.
Identification of Residues in the Neuronal α7Acetylcholine Receptor That Confer Selectivity for Conotoxin ImI

Abstract To identify residues in the neuronal α7 acetylcholine subunit that confer high affinity for the neuronal-specific toxin conotoxin ImI (CTx ImI), we constructed α7-α1 chimeras containing segments of the muscle α1 subunit inserted into equivalent positions of the neuronal α7 subunit. To achieve high expression in 293 human embryonic kidney cells and formation of homo-oligomers, we joined the extracellular domains of each chimera to the M1 junction of the 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5HT-3) subunit. Measurements of CTx ImI binding to the chimeric receptors reveal three pairs of residues in equivalent positions of the primary sequence that confer high affinity of CTx ImI for α7/5HT-3 over α1/5HT-3 homo-oligomers. Two of these pairs, α7Trp55/α1Arg55 and α7Ser59/α1Gln59, are within one of the four loops that contribute to the traditional non-α subunit face of the muscle receptor binding site. The third pair, α7Thr77/α1Lys77, is not within previously described loops of either the α or non-α faces and may represent a new loop or an allosterically coupled loop. Exchanging these residues between α1 and α7subunits exchanges the affinities of the binding sites for CTx ImI, suggesting that the α7 and α1 subunits, despite sequence identity of only 38%, share similar protein scaffolds.
Abstract A18: Reduced NF1 expression in resistance to EGF receptor inhibitory drugs in lung adenocarcinoma

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as erlotinib, exhibit striking efficacy in lung adenocarcinomas with activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, patients inevitably develop therapeutic resistance, often due to second site mutations (T790M) in the EGFR. In this study, we aim to identify novel determinants of resistance in order to find new drug targets that may increase the effectiveness of EGFR targeted therapy. We performed a genome-wide siRNA screen using the PC9 cell line, which harbors an EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation and is exquisitely sensitive to erlotinib. From this screen, we identified genes that upon knockdown had a significantly different effect on cell survival in drug-treated versus untreated conditions. Within the list of candidate genes is the tumor suppressor NF1, encoding the RAS GTPase-activating protein neurofibromin. In addition, low Nf1 expression is associated with the acquisition of resistance in a preclinical mouse model of activated mutant EGFR-driven lung cancer in tumors where the second site mutation in EGFR did not occur. In vitro experiments show that decreased expression of NF1 results in a failure of erlotinib to fully inhibit RAS-ERK signaling. Treatment of NF1 -deficient lung cancer cells with a MEK inhibitor restored their sensitivity to erlotinib both in in vitro and in xenograft experiments. Interestingly, approximately half of the erlotinib resistant tumors in our mouse model regressed upon treatment with erlotinib in combination with a MEK inhibitor, while tumors treated with erlotinib only continued to progress. This suggests that combination of a MEK inhibitor and an EGFR inhibitor may be an effective approach to the treatment of some cases of drug resistant lung cancer.
Neutrino reactions in deuterium in the elementary-particle model and the axial-vector-current form factor

The differential cross sections for the reactions ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}+d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p+p+{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}+d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n+n+{e}^{+}$ are calculated in the forward direction from threshold to ${E}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}=10$ GeV. The differential cross sections are found to be of the form $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}=\ensuremath{\beta}({E}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}){{E}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}}^{2}$, where $\ensuremath{\beta}({E}_{\ensuremath{\nu}})$ is a slowly increasing function. It is shown that most of the contributions to $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ come from the region of small ${q}^{2}$ and that to a good approximation ${F}_{A}({q}^{2}\ensuremath{\sim}0)$ can be obtained from $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ at large ${E}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$.
Adolescents and young adults with down syndrome presenting to a medical clinic with depression: Co-morbid obstructive sleep apnea

Adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome (DS) sometimes experience new-onset mood disorder and decline in adaptive skills. The clinical phenomenon is poorly characterized and its pathogenesis is not understood. The possible contribution of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) to this phenomenon has not been studied. Subjects were ascertained as a convenience sample through our clinic for persons with DS and medical or mental health concerns between 2004 and 2009. When mood symptoms were present an axis I diagnosis was made using DSM-IV-R criteria. Subjects without an axis I diagnosis served as controls. The Reiss scales for children's dual diagnosis and the aberrant behavior checklist (ABC) were completed by caretakers. Twenty-eight cases meeting criteria for major depressive episode (MDE) and nine controls without psychopathology were referred for overnight polysomnography (PSG). Functional decline was reported in 19 (68%) of cases with MDE, but none of the controls. Twenty-four (86%) cases had OSAS compared with only 4 (44%) of controls. Moderate-severe OSAS was present in 15 (54%) of cases compared to only 1 (11%) of controls. Intermittent sleep-associated hypoxia and REM sleep deficits were also more frequent in cases. Across all subjects, prior tonsillectomy was not related to the presence or absence of OSAS. Our findings suggest that OSAS may be a common co-morbidity in adolescents and younger adults with DS and depression. Recognition of this association maybe critical to understanding the pathogenesis and management of mood-related disorders, and functional decline in affected individuals.
Bending membranes to the task: structural intermediates in bilayer fusion.

Abstract Merger of lipid bilayers plays a central role in diverse biological fusion reactions. Recent studies suggest that different membrane fusion systems, including fusion of purely lipid bilayers, involve formation of similar stalk-type intermediates — highly bent (net negative curvature) and transient lipidic connections between fusing membranes.
Two new species of Tarsopolipus (Acari: Podapolipidae) from scarab beetles from central and western Africa

Abstract Tarsopolipus endrodyyoungai n.sp. is described from Kheper lamarcki (Scarabaeidae) from Shaba, Zilo, Congo (Zaire) and Tarsopolipus mahunkai n.sp. is described from an unknown scarab beetle collected from Kwadase, Ghana. A key to 8 known species in Tarsopolipus is included.
Vitamin D: Is it time for a rethink?

Vitamin D plays a key role and is crucial for bone mineral density and calcium and phosphorous absorption. There is a need to set dietary reference values and give greater emphasis to dietary sources, including food fortification, to maximize bone mass in childhood and adolescence.
Axiomatic characterizations of continuum structure functions

A continuum structure function is a non-decreasing mapping from the unit hypercube to the unit interval. Axiomatic characterizations of the continuum structure functions based on the Barlow-Wu and Natvig multistate structure functions are derived.
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Stimulates Hindlimb Stepping and Sprouting of Cholinergic Fibers after Spinal Cord Injury

Neurotrophic factors have been proposed as a therapeutic treatment for traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. The present study determined whether exogenous administration of one such factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), could effect behavioral recovery and/or histopathological changes after spinal cord injury. Adult rats received a mild or moderate contusion injury or complete transection of the mid-thoracic spinal cord. Immediately thereafter, they were infused intrathecally with vehicle or BDNF for 28 days. Behavioral recovery was evaluated for 6 weeks after injury, at which time the rats were sacrificed and the spinal cord tissue was examined histologically. The infusion of BDNF resulted in acute stimulation of hindlimb activity. These effects included activation of alternating airstepping in injured rats when the hindlimbs were unloaded as well as slight improvements in the rate of recovery in open field locomotion score. BDNF infusion was also associated with enhanced growth of cholinergic fibers at the injury epicenter, but did not affect white matter sparing or density of serotonergic axons at or below the injury site. Based on immunohistochemical detection of BDNF protein distribution, these described effects are likely to be mediated by the activation of cells and axons within the central injury region and the along the peripheral rim of the spinal cord. Together, these findings demonstrate that the exogenous infusion of BDNF after spinal trauma can influence postinjury outcome through mechanisms that include acute stimulation of hindlimb activity and neuritogenesis at the injury site.
Pseudomeniscus following total knee arthroplasty as a cause of persistent knee pain

Persistent pain following total knee arthroplasty is an uncommon complication that may have any of several causes. In the case reported here, a patient who had undergone total knee arthroplasty developed a symptomatic pseudomeniscus that was successfully treated by arthroscopic debridement. Histopathologic analysis of the pseudomeniscus revealed a unique fibrocartilaginous structure, which may give insight into its pathogenesis. Symptomatic pseudomeniscus is one of several postoperative complications of total knee arthroplasty for which arthroscopy may be indicated.
Extraction of edge-based and region-based features for object recognition

One of the central problems of computer vision is object recognition. A catalogue of model objects is described as a set of features such as edges and surfaces. The same features are extracted from the scene and matched against the models for object recognition. Edges and surfaces extracted from the scenes are often noisy and imperfect. In this paper algorithms are described for improving low level edge and surface features. Existing edge extraction algorithms are applied to the intensity image to obtain edge features. Initial edges are traced by following directions of the current contour. These are improved by using corresponding depth and intensity information for decision making at branch points. Surface fitting routines are applied to the range image to obtain planar surface patches. An algorithm of region growing is developed that starts with a coarse segmentation and uses quadric surface fitting to iteratively merge adjacent regions into quadric surfaces based on approximate orthogonal distance regression. Surface information obtained is returned to the edge extraction routine to detect and remove fake edges. This process repeats until no more merging or edge improvement can take place. Both synthetic (with Gaussian noise) and real images containing multiple object scenes have been tested using the merging criteria. Results appeared quite encouraging.
Some new results for integrals involving the generalized Marcum Q function and their application to performance evaluation over fading channels

This letter evaluates some new integrals whose integrand involves the generalized Marcum Q function, both of whose arguments are linear functions of the integration variable. The resulting closed-form expressions obtained for these integrals are then applied to the error probability evaluation of noncoherent and differentially coherent detection with postdetection equal gain combining over Rayleigh and Nakagami fading channels.
Compact modeling of STT-MTJ devices

Abstract STT-MTJ is a promising device for future high-density and low-power integrated systems. To enable design exploration of STT-MTJ, this paper presents a fully compact model for efficient SPICE simulation. Derived from the fundamental LLG equation, the new model consists of RC elements that are compact equations of device geometry and material properties. They support transient SPICE simulations, providing necessary details beyond the macromodel and enable resilient memory design. The accuracy of the model is validated with numerical results and published data. Scaling analysis shows the sensitivity of STT-MTJ to its geometry. We also did variability analysis with Monte Carlo simulation of the basic 1T1MTJ memory cell to study the bit error rate performance for different transistor size and programming current profile. We show that there is a tradeoff between programming energy and cell area for the same bit error rate constraint. Finally we derive the cell size that achieves minimum energy consumption for a given bit error rate constraint (primary) and latency or area constraint (secondary).
A stability measure for underconstrained cable-driven robots

This paper introduces a slope-based measure of the stability of a pose of an underconstrained cable robot. In order to define this measure, the set of twists that the end-effector can instantaneously undergo is found. The measure is then derived using an energy-based approach to generalize the definition of slope for mixed-dimensional twists. In order to more easily understand and calculate the measure an intermediate space is introduced. An example is worked out for a sample manipulator and the stability measure is used to define a measure of overall manipulator stability.
Resonance Absorption of Nuclear Gamma Rays and the Dynamics of Atomic Motions

The theory of resonance absorption of nuclear gamma rays is generalized for an arbitrary system of interacting particles by expressing the relevant transition probability in terms of a space-time self-correlation function; thus relating the resonance line shape to the incoherent differential scattering cross section for slow neutrons. Two limiting cases, a gas and a solid, were considered. Discussion regarding the justification of the use of a classical self-diffusion function for a liquid is given, and expressions for the broadening of the resonance line due to diffusive motions of the atoms of the interacting system are derived. It is suggested how Mossbauer-type experiment could be used to give information regarding the diffusive motions of atoms in a solid and also, under more favorable circumstances, in a liquid. (auth)