cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translating gene transfer: a stalled effort.

The journey of gene transfer from laboratory to clinic has been slow and fraught with many challenges and barriers. Despite the development of the initial technology in the early 1970s, a standard clinical treatment involving “gene therapy” remains to be seen. Furthermore, much was written about the technology in the early 1990s, but since then, not much has been written about the journey of gene transfer. The translational path of gene transfer thus far, both pitfalls and successes, can serve as a study not only in navigating ethical and safety concerns, but also in the importance of scientist–public interactions. Here, we examine the translational progress of gene transfer and what can be gleaned from its history. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 279–281
Do Haphazard Reviews Provide Sound Directions for Dissemination Efforts

Comments on The dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments: A review of current efforts (see record 2010-02208-010) by Kathryn R. McHugh and David H. Barlow. The lead article in the February–March issue by McHugh and Barlow (2010) emphasized the need for “dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments.” The authors identified a number of intervention programs as evidence based and in need of dissemination. One is multisystemic therapy (MST). They claimed that this program is among “the most successful dissemination efforts...pursued by treatment developers” (p. 79). McHugh and Barlow’s (2010) discussion of the implementation of MST in Hawaii is troubling, because it neglected to mention concerns about the perceived lack of cultural sensitivity of the MST program in that state.
The computer revolution in psychometrics.

We have said that psychometric methods involving algorithms are completely objective—at least they are if the algorithm is in the form of a program for a digital computer. These objective procedures need Monte Carlo and other computer runs to determine their properties, but so do many equation-oriented techniques. The objective algorithms are flexible but not flaccid. They offer a way of dealing with complexities that formerly seemed beyond our grasp. As the computer revolution continues in psychometrics, we can expect objective algorithmic methods to become the rule rather than the exception.
A novel method for stereospecific fluorination at the 2′-arabino-position of pyrimidine nucleoside: synthesis of [18F]-FMAU

Direct fluorination of a pyrimidine nucleoside at the 2′-arabino-position has been deemed to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. The conventional synthesis of 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro-5-methy-1-β-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (FMAU) and its 5-substituted analogs involves stereospecific fluorination of the 1,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-α-D-ribofuranose-2-sulfonate ester followed by bromination at the C1-postion, and then coupling with pyrimidine-bis-trimethylsilyl ether. Several radiolabeled nucleoside analogs, including [18F]FMAU, and other 5-substituted analogs, were developed according to this methodology. However, routine production of these compounds using this multi-step process is inconvenient and limits their clinical application. We developed a novel precursor and method for direct fluorination of preformed nucleoside analogs at the 2′-arabino position, exemplified via radiosynthesis of [18F]FMAU. The 2′-methylsulfonyl-3′,5′-O-tetrahydropyranyl-N3-Boc-5-methyl-1-β-D-ribofuranosiluracil was synthesized in multiple steps. Radiofluorination of this precursor with K18F/kryptofix produced 2′-deoxy-2′-[18F]fluoro-3′,5′-O-tetrahydropyranyl-N3-Boc-5-methyl-1-β-D-arabinofuranosiluracil. Acid hydrolysis followed by high-performance liquid chromatography purification produced the desired [18F]FMAU. The average radiochemical yield was 2.0% (decay corrected, n=6), from the end of bombardment. Radiochemical purity was >99%, and specific activity was >1800 mCi/µmol. Synthesis time was 95–100 min from the end of bombardment. This direct fluorination is a novel method for synthesis of [18F]FMAU, and the method should be suitable for production of other 5-substituted pyrimidine analogs, including [18F]FEAU, [18F]FIAU, [18F]FFAU, [18F]FCAU, and [18F]FBAU. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Dominican Intervention of 1965: Recent Interpretations

Dona Baron. "The Dominican Republican Crisis of 1965: A CaseStudy of the Regional vs. the Global Approach to Intemational Peace and Security," in Andrew W. Cordier (ed.), Columbia Essays in International Affairs (III): The Dean's Papers, 1967. New York: Columbia University Press, 1968, pp. 1-37. Theodore Draper. "The Dominican Intervention Reconsidered," Political Science Quarterly, March 1971 (LXXXVI, No. 1), pp. 1-36. Theodore Draper. The Dominican Revolt: A Case Study in American Policy. New York: Commentary, 1968. 208pp. Abraham F. Lowenthal. The Dominican Intervention. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1972. 246pp. Abraham F. Lowenthal. "The Dominican Intervention in Retrospect," Public Policy, Fall 1969 (XVIII, No. 1), pp. 133-148. Jos6 A. Moreno. Barrios in Arms: Revolution in Santo Domingo. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1970. 254pp. Jerome Slater. Intervention and Negotiation: The United States and the Dominican Revolution. New York: Harper and Row, 1970. 254pp. Jerome Slater. "The Limits of Legitimization in International Organizations: The Organization of American States and the Dominican Crisis," International Organization, Winter 1969 (Vol. 23, No. 1), pp. 48-72.
Glucocorticoids and the risk of osteoporosis.

Background: Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) refers to a clinical condition in which a class of corticosteroids increases the susceptibility of bones to fracture. Numerous recent studies have improved our understanding of the underlying biology of this condition, whereas data from randomized controlled trials have provided clinicians with more options for prevention of GIO. Objective: To review the pathophysiology and epidemiology of GIO, as well as current pharmacologic treatment and prevention modalities available. To review the state of healthcare provider concordance with GIO prevention guidelines. Methods: Representative examples of various cellular and molecular processes underlying GIO were included, with an emphasis towards more recent discoveries. The data used to describe the epidemiology of GIO were derived from both randomized controlled studies and observational studies, framed through a discussion of known osteoporosis risk factors. Results/conclusion: Progress has been made in clar...
Creating International Community Service Learning Experiences in a Capstone Marketing-Projects Course:

This article outlines the development of a project-based capstone marketing course, specifically designed to provide marketing students with an international community service learning experience. It differs significantly from previous studies, which focus on integrating service learning into existing marketing courses and on helping local nonprofit organizations. The focus of the course outlined in this article is on strengthening marketing-related competencies acquired through earlier coursework; developing broader work-related competencies, such as cross-functional thinking, teamwork, communication, and cultural sensitivity; and operating a collegiate chapter of a nonprofit engaged in international community service. The course described is well aligned with other significant trends in undergraduate business education: it is multidisciplinary, it emphasizes collaborative learning, it is founded on carefully articulated learning outcomes, and learning success is assessed. It provides a transformational ...
Theory of resonance Raman scattering by molecules subject to twisting with an application to ethylene

Model calculations are reported on molecules such as ethylene that twist on electronic excitation. Resonance Raman spectra and excitation profiles are calculated for several pairs of torsional potentials. For a 90° twist, the resonance Raman spectra show double-quantum torsional progressions that tend to be very long for resonance in the region of strong absorption. The Raman excitation profiles of the torsional-mode bands resemble the absorption spectrum in that most of the intensity is found in the region of near-vertical transitions, where the upper-state torsional levels change from vibrational to rotational. This picture remains valid if the upper state has minima at angles other than 90° relative to the ground-state minimum, provided that the point group symmetry of the molecule is not lower than D2 at these points; this is the case for ethylene. If, however, the minimum corresponds to a lower point group, as for asymmetrically substituted ethylenes, Raman transitions involving an odd number of quanta become allowed. For very small angles of twist (≲ 15°) such systems resemble displaced harmonic oscillators. These results are compared with recently reported resonance Raman spectra in the UV absorption region of ethylene where both ππ* and Rydberg transitions are active. The analysis suggests a new potential for torsion in the first Rydberg state.
Probing heliospheric diffusion coefficients with solar energetic particles

Abstract The dynamics of solar particle events provide a direct link to the understanding of properties of wave–particle interactions, and to the nature of the solar wind fluctuations. Depending on their energy, the often simultaneously observed electrons, protons and ions interact with different wavenumber ranges of the fluctuations, and are sensitive to various aspects of the dynamical nature of the solar wind turbulence. In general, the evolution of particle events is also sensitive to the spatial variation of the transport parameters between the Sun and a few AU. Together with in situ plasma and magnetic field observations this information can be used to extrapolate the properties of transport parameters into the more distant Heliosphere. Recent developments in the theory of parallel transport of energetic particles, and examples for the modelling of solar particle events and the derivation of transport parameters are considered. A dynamical quasi-linear theory is presented which gives special emphasis to the geometry and dynamic nature of the fluctuations, and which is able to provide particle mean free paths solely from observed plasma parameters, in good agreement with those derived by the modelling. Possibilities to apply the above results to the study of other energetic particle processes in the Heliosphere are discussed.
A hypomorphic allele of Tsc2 highlights the role of TSC1/TSC2 in signaling to AKT and models mild human TSC2 alleles

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a tumor suppressor gene syndrome in which hamartomas develop in multiple organ systems. Knockout and conditional alleles of Tsc1 and Tsc2 have been previously reported. Here, we describe the generation of a novel hypomorphic allele of Tsc2 (del3), in which exon 3, encoding 37 amino acids near the N terminus of tuberin, is deleted. Embryos homozygous for the del3 allele survive until E13.5, 2 days longer than Tsc2 null embryos. Embryos die from underdevelopment of the liver, deficient hematopoiesis, aberrant vascular development and hemorrhage. Mice that are heterozygous for the del3 allele have a markedly reduced kidney tumor burden in comparison with conventional Tsc2(+/-) mice. Murine embryo fibroblast (MEF) cultures that are homozygous for the del3 allele express mutant tuberin at low levels, and show enhanced activation of mTORC1, similar to Tsc2 null MEFs. Furthermore, the mutant cells show prominent reduction in the activation of AKT. Similar findings were made in the analysis of homozygous del3 embryo lysates. Tsc2-del3 demonstrates GTPase activating protein activity comparable to that of wild-type Tsc2 in a functional assay. These findings indicate that the del3 allele is a hypomorphic allele of Tsc2 with partial function due to reduced expression, and highlight the consistency of AKT downregulation when Tsc1/Tsc2 function is reduced. Tsc2-del3 mice also serve as a model for hypomorphic TSC2 missense mutations reported in TSC patients.
Standardization and validation of a novel and simple method to assess lumbar dural sac size.

Aim To develop and validate a simple, reproducible method to assess dural sac size using standard imaging technology. Materials and methods This study was institutional review board-approved. Two readers, blinded to the diagnoses, measured anterior–posterior (AP) and transverse (TR) dural sac diameter (DSD), and AP vertebral body diameter (VBD) of the lumbar vertebrae using MRI images from 53 control patients with pre-existing MRI examinations, 19 prospectively MRI-imaged healthy controls, and 24 patients with Marfan syndrome with prior MRI or CT lumbar spine imaging. Statistical analysis utilized linear and logistic regression, Pearson correlation, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results AP-DSD and TR-DSD measurements were reproducible between two readers ( r = 0.91 and 0.87, respectively). DSD (L1–L5) was not different between male and female controls in the AP or TR plane ( p = 0.43; p = 0.40, respectively), and did not vary by age ( p = 0.62; p = 0.25) or height ( p = 0.64; p = 0.32). AP-VBD was greater in males versus females ( p = 1.5 × 10 −8 ), resulting in a smaller dural sac ratio (DSR) (DSD/VBD) in males ( p = 5.8 × 10 −6 ). Marfan patients had larger AP-DSDs and TR-DSDs than controls ( p = 5.9 × 10 −9 ; p = 6.5 × 10 −9 , respectively). Compared to DSR, AP-DSD and TR-DSD better discriminate Marfan from control subjects based on area under the curve (AUC) values from unadjusted ROCs (AP-DSD p p = 0.04). Conclusion Individual vertebrae and L1–L5 (average) AP-DSD and TR-DSD measurements are simple, reliable, and reproducible for quantitating dural sac size without needing to control for gender, age, or height.
Ocular prosthesis: A physiologic system

Abstract The fabrication of a custom-fitted ocular prosthesis has been described in sufficient detail to enable any prosthetist to carry out the procedures. Ocular prostheses produced by this method are the most esthetic and comfortable possible; they should be provided for all patients who require such prostheses. The prosthetist should not be discouraged if he does not attain optimal results in his first endeavor; as in any other prosthetic treatment, experience is as necessary to success as is didactic knowledge.
Uncertainty and Intercalibration Analysis of H*Wind

AbstractThe Hurricane Research Division (HRD) Real-time Hurricane Wind Analysis System (H*Wind) is a software application used by NOAA’s HRD to create a gridded tropical cyclone wind analysis based on a wide range of observations. These analyses are used in both forecasting and research applications. Although mean bias and RMS errors are listed, H*Wind lacks robust uncertainty information that considers the contributions of random observation errors, relative biases between observation types, temporal drift resulting from combining nonsimultaneous measurements into a single analysis, and smoothing and interpolation errors introduced by the H*Wind analysis. This investigation seeks to estimate the total contributions of these sources, and thereby provide an overall uncertainty estimate for the H*Wind product.A series of statistical analyses show that in general, the total uncertainty in the H*Wind product in hurricanes is approximately 6% near the storm center, increasing to nearly 13% near the tropical st...
Quadrupole and octupole shapes in nuclei

Heavy-ion coulomb excitation measurements can determine almost the complete set of ⩾ 100 E2 matrix elements involving the lowest ⩽30 collective states in nuclei, as well as E3 matrix elements. The completeness of the E2 data is sufficient to determine directly the centroids and fluctuation widths of the E2 properties in the principal axis frame, providing a direct measure of the correlation of the E2 data for low-lying states. This adds a powerful new dimension to the study of quadrupole collectivity in nuclei. The E3 matrix elements provide a sensitive test of octupole deformation in nuclei. The results and model implications of recent coulomb excitation measurements of the quadrupole shapes in odd-and even-A nuclei will be discussed, including examples of shape transitions, shape coexistence, and coriolis effects. The results of a study of octupole deformation in 148Nd also will be presented.
Radioactive waste storage and disposal

A review of the subject of radioactive waste management is provided, including background information, tutorial material, and a status report on U.S. disposal efforts. Topics discussed are: the radioactive decay process; the steps in the nuclear fuel cycle from the mining of uranium to the disposal of wastes; typical uses of isotopes and radiation in which there are waste byproducts; classification of wastes according to type and origin; the nuclear industry's problem of accumulation of spent fuel; temporary storage systems; transportation; reprocessing," methods of solidification of wastes; the options available for disposing of high-level wastes, including the preferred mined cavity method; the handling of low-level wastes; the purposes of monitored retrievable storage; studies on waste migration in a geologic medium via groundwater; disposal site characterization studies; and the laws and regulations that govern waste management. The need for public understanding of radioactive wastes in the interest of successful development of energy sources is noted.
Effect of Full Feed and Early Feed Restriction on Broiler Performance, Abdominal Fat Level, Cellularity, and Fat Metabolism in Broiler Chickens

Three hundred sixty Peterson x Arbor Acres chicks were fed two feed regimens to compare their effects on adipose cellularity, adipocyte lipolysis, hepatic glucose oxidation, adipocyte lipogenesis, bird performance, and abdominal fat level. Broilers in the first regimen had ad libitum access to feed throughout the 7-wk experiment, whereas broilers in the second regimen consumed feed at will throughout the experiment except that they were subjected to feed restriction (1.49 kcal/g BW2/3 daily) from 7 to 12 d of age (DOA). No differences in mean body weights were observed between the full-fed and restricted males and combined sex broilers at 49 DOA. Feed conversion and abdominal fat levels of female and combined sex were lower (P < .05) for the restricted than full-fed broilers. No differences in adipocyte numbers based either on whole abdominal fat pads at 28 and 42 DOA or per gram fat at 42 DOA were observed between broilers fed the two feed regimens. However, the adipocyte numbers per gram fat at 28 DOA were greater (P < .05) for the restricted broiler than for the broilers that ate freely. Lipolysis based per million adipocytes was not different between the treatments at 28 and 42 DOA; however, lipolysis based on per gram adipose tissue was increased (P < .05) with the addition of isoproterenol and theophylline for the restricted broilers compared to the full-fed broilers at 28 DOA. No difference was observed between the feed regimens at 42 DOA with hormone addition. Lipogenesis of the restricted broilers was lower (P < .05) than that of the full-fed broilers at 14 and 56 DOA. No difference in glucose oxidation was found between chickens fed the two regimens. Reduced abdominal fat in the restricted broilers is attributed to the reduction of adipocyte volume, which may be due to decreased lipogenesis.
Reduced efficiency of sarcolipin‐dependent respiration in myocytes from humans with severe obesity

Objective Sarcolipin (SLN) regulates muscle energy expenditure through its action on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) pump. It is unknown whether SLN-dependent respiration has relevance to human obesity, but whole-transcriptome gene expression profiling revealed that SLN was more highly expressed in myocytes from individuals with severe obesity (OB) than in lean controls (LN). The purpose of this study was to examine SLN-dependent cellular respiratory rates in LN and OB human muscles. Methods Primary myocytes were isolated from muscle biopsy from seven LN and OB Caucasian females. Cellular respiration was assessed with and without lentivirus-mediated SLN knockdown in LN and OB myocytes. Results SLN mRNA and protein abundance was greater in OB compared to LN cells. Despite elevated SLN levels in wild-type OB cells, respiratory rates among SLN-deficient cells were higher in OB compared to LN. Obesity-induced reduction in efficiency of SLN-dependent respiration was associated with altered sarcoplasmic reticulum phospholipidome. Conclusions SLN-dependent respiration is reduced in muscles from humans with severe obesity compared to lean controls. Identification of the molecular mechanism that affects SLN efficiency might lead to interventions that promote an increase in skeletal muscle energy expenditure.
Decentralized Estimation under Communication Constraints

The decentralized cooperative exploration problem necessarily involves communication among agents, while the spatial separation inherent in this task places fundamental limits on the amount of data that can be transmitted. However, the impact of limited communication on the exploration process has not been fully characterized. No known exploration algorithm realistically models the tradeo between rapid expansion (which allows more rapid exploration of the map) and maintaining close relative proximity among agents (which facilitates communication). This work is a first step toward characterizing the impact of limited communication on this cooperative estimation task by considering a static version of the problem. The mathematical properties of the information form of the Kalman filter are leveraged in the development of two approximate algorithms for selecting highly informative portions of the information matrix for transmission. One algorithm, a fully polynomial time approximation scheme, provides provably good results in computationally tractable time for problem instances of a particular structure. The other, a heuristic-based method applicable to instances of arbitrary matrix structure, performs very well in simulation for randomly-generated problems of realistic dimension.
Electron–phonon scattering in disordered metallic films

Abstract The quantum interference between ‘pure’ electron–phonon and electron-boundary/impurity scattering drastically changes the electron–phonon relaxation rate. If impurities and boundaries vibrate in the same way as the host lattice, the electron–phonon relaxation rate is significantly decreased. In the presence of the scattering potential that does not vibrate with phonons (e.g. rigid boundaries, interelectron scattering) the relaxation rate is substantially enhanced. Current work reviews recent progress in the theoretical investigations, gives quantitative explanations of available low-temperature data, and presents original experimental results for ultrathin Hf at ultralow temperatures.
Stem cell transplantation reveals that absence of macrophage CD36 is protective against atherosclerosis.

Objective—CD36 is expressed on multiple cell types and has numerous functions, a subset of which can impact on atherogenesis. In previous work, we demonstrated that CD36 absence was protective against lesion formation. The current objective was to determine whether absence of macrophage CD36 alone was protective. Methods and Results—Lethal irradiation and stem cell transfer were used to create chimeric mice that did or did not express macrophage CD36 in the context of the Apo E-null model of atherosclerosis. After engraftment, mice were fed a Western diet for 12 weeks. White cell counts, plasma levels of lipoproteins, triacylglycerol, and nonesterified fatty acids were determined, and glucose tolerance tests were preformed. Lesion area was assessed quantitatively after oil red O staining. Mice lacking CD36 in macrophages alone were profoundly protected against atherosclerosis (88.1% reduction of lesion area throughout the aortic tree). Re-introduction of macrophage CD36 resulted in a 2.11-fold increase in lesion area. There were no differences in engraftment, macrophage recruitment, glucose tolerance, weight, and total, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol among the groups. Lesions contained similar percent macrophage antigen-positive area. Conclusion—Protection in this model is primarily caused by loss of CD36 macrophage function. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004;24:2333-2338.)
Friend or Foe?: A Plant’s Induced Response to an Omnivore

Omnivorous natural enemies of herbivores consume plant-based resources and may elicit induced resistance in their host plant. A greater induction threshold for damage produced by omnivorous predators than for strict herbivores might be expected if omnivore performance is enhanced on noninduced plants, allowing them to reduce future levels of herbivory. Currently, it is not known if a plant responds to feeding by omnivorous predators and by herbivores similarly. To examine this question, we chose herbivore and omnivore species that produce the same kind of quantifiable damage to cotton leaves, enabling us to control statistically for the intensity of plant damage, and ask whether plant responses differed depending on the identity of the damaging species. We first compared changes in plant peroxidase activity, gossypol gland number and density, and leaf area in response to feeding by the spider mite Tetranychus turkestani (Ugarov and Nikolski) (an herbivore) and by one of the mite’s principal natural enemies, the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (an omnivore). Both species increased the activity of peroxidase, but when we controlled for the amount of damage, the peroxidase activity of mite-damaged plants was higher than that of thrips-damaged plants. We also found that thrips, but not spider mites, increased the density of gossypol glands in the second true leaf. In a second experiment we included an additional herbivore, the bean thrips Caliothrips fasciatus (Pergande), to see if the different responses of cotton to thrips and mite herbivory we first observed were attributable to differences in trophic function (herbivore versus omnivore) or to other differences in feeding generated by thrips versus mites. Cotton plants exhibited the same pattern of induced responses (elevated peroxidase, increased number of glands, reduced leaf area) to herbivory generated by the bean thrips (an herbivore) and western flower thrips (an omnivore), suggesting that trophic function was not a key determinant of plant response. Thrips-damaged plants again showed a significantly higher density of gossypol glands than did mite-damaged plants. Overall, our results suggest that (1) an omnivorous predator systemically induces resistance traits in cotton and (2) whereas there is evidence of taxonomic specificity (thrips versus mites), there is little support for trophic specificity (herbivorous thrips versus omnivorous thrips) in the elicitation of induced responses.
Ethical considerations of live case transmissions.

Live cases are the heart of teaching surgical and interventional techniques and advancing the practice and science of medicine. Today, the venue has changed because of developments in communication technology. We now have at our command real-time global access to live cases for both professional and
Climatological Control of a North Florida Coastal System and Impact Due to Upland Forestry Management

The assessment of the influence of upland runoff on coastal systems should be carried out within the context of long-term (i.e. supraanual) climatic fluctuation. Forestry operations such as road building, ditching, and draining tend to alter natural drainage and channelize runoff from local precipitation into receiving water bodies. Long-term (6-year) studies in the Apalachicola estuary indicated that such altered drainage3 together with extensive clearcutting, caused temporary flashing of runoff which, in addition to causing rapid changes in salinity, was responsible for periodic increases in nutrient levels and water color and decreases in dissolved oxygen and pH in upper portions of the bay. Periodic incursion of low quality runoff occurred during summer- fall periods of intense precipitation and high productivity of the estuarine nursery. Water quality effects tended to be of short duration and were associated with the timed interaction of the clear cutting events and long-term rainfall patterns. Such effects were temporally modified by revegetation of clearcut areas. The biological effects depended on the timing of input and the specific response of individual populations. Reductions of species richness and abundance were characteristic of shocked upper bay areas, and were considered to be a consequence of exacerbation of the natural instability of the physical environment. The significance of the repeated though temporary reduction of water quality was understandable only within the context of specific natural shocks to the system such as low winter temperatures and periodic river flooding. Natural variation of estuarine interactions was equivalent to the impact due to anthropogenic manipulation of upland drainage areas. It can be inferred that wetlands vegetation in upland drainage areas tends to stabilize pulsed movements of water through such systems, thereby modifying the hydrologic regime in receiving water bodies.
Soluble guanylate cyclase gene expression and localization in rat lung after exposure to hypoxia.

The nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP signal transduction pathway plays an important role in the regulation of pulmonary vascular tone and resistance in pulmonary hypertension. A number of studies have demons...
Effect of waivers of consent on recruitment in acute stroke trials A systematic review

There is urgent need for clinical trials of novel interventions to reduce the burden of acute ischemic stroke. A key impediment to such trials is slow recruitment. Since obtaining written informed consent in the setting of acute stroke is especially challenging, some experts have endorsed relaxing the requirement for informed consent by permitting verbal consent or waivers to facilitate recruitment. This systematic review of 36 randomized controlled trials of acute interventions for ischemic stroke assesses whether alternatives to written informed consent are associated with increased recruitment rates. After the exclusion of 2 outlier trials that differed from other trials in conduct and interventions studied, no association was observed on univariable analysis (8.9 participants/month in trials requiring written consent vs 6.1 participants/month in trials with alternatives, p = 0.43) or multivariable analysis (when adjusting for the number of centers, number of countries, and exclusions based on modified Rankin Scale scores). Alternatives to written informed consent in acute stroke trials may enable trial designs that would not be feasible otherwise. However, we did not find evidence that, within traditional trial designs, such alternatives are associated with faster recruitment.
EFFECT OF NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTATION ON FLAVOR, QUALITY, AND SHELF LIFE OF THE CULTIVATED MUSHROOM, AGARICUS BISPORUS

SpawnMate II supplemented at spawning increased the yield of mushrooms, while safflower oil supplemented at casing reduced mushroom yield. Nutrient supplementation did not affect solids, lipid, l-octen-3-ol content, or fatty acid composition of mushrooms. Supplementation at casing resulted in better color for the first two flushes ofthe crop cycle. The 1 -octen-3-ol content of mushrooms decreased during postharvest storage. Use of nutrient supplementation also affected color and maturity of mush? rooms during storage.
The Concept of Conflict in Industrial Sociology

A GROWING preoccupation of many eminent sociologists is known by the brand name of "human relations in industry." It has played a major role in the development of industrial sociology.' Departments are adding "human relations in industry" subjects to their offerings. Industrial relations centers claim it as an "integrating force" in college curriculums. Large corporations subsidize the research efforts of some industrial sociologists and their chosen students. The mainsprings of the "human relations in industry" brand of industrial sociology are grounded in the basic assumptions of the studies of Harvard's Mayo-Whitehead-Roethlisberger group. Intertwined are the premises of a new cultural anthropology which draws on many comparisons between status systems of preliterate tribal community and factory social structure in modern society. A ringing minority of American social scientists has failed to take vows of uncritical acceptance of "human relations in industry" sociology.2 Perhaps the most justifiably assailed characteristic ofits approach is a rather exclusive concern with industry's vertical social structure and goals of social collaboration in preference to collective behavior throughout labor-management relations. These considerations are responsible for this paper's concern with industrial sociology's treatment of conflict in the labor-management relationship under the following headings: (1) the nature of today's labor-management relationship; (2) recognition of conflict between worker and company goals and between labor union and management; (3) the disregard of conflict by a substantial portion of industrial sociology which overlooks problems "external" to factory social structure capable of undermining worker collaboration; (4) the nearsighted criticism which asserts "Mayo is wrong because Blank is right"; and (5) the contribution of conflict to realistic labor-management collaboration.
Increased vascular access complications in patients with renal dysfunction undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures using arteriotomy closure devices.

BACKGROUND Arteriotomy closure device (ACD) use has increased following percutaneous transfemoral coronary procedures (PTCP). However, their safety in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not known. Therefore, we evaluated the complication rates of ACD among patients with CKD. METHODS Six-hundred ten consecutive patients who underwent PTCP and ACD were retrospectively studied. Patients were grouped according to their creatinine clearance (CrCl in ml/min/1.73 m2) calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula using the National Kidney Foundation classification system; Stage I (CrCl > or = 90); Stage II (60-89); Stage III (30-59); Stage IV (15-29); and Stage V (< or = 15). The primary endpoint was the combined incidence of pseudoaneurysm, retroperitoneal hematoma, femoral artery thrombosis, surgical vascular repair, and groin infection. RESULTS Among 610 patients 283 (46%) underwent PCI. The primary endpoint was seen in 66 (10.8%) patients. Univariate predictors of primary outcome were lower CrCl (p < 0.001), and presence of peripheral vascular disease (p = 0.03). There was an inverse relationship between CrCl and complication rate. CKD was the strongest independent multivariate predictor for the primary endpoint (OR 1.032; 95% CI 1.019-1.046; p < 0.0001), driven by higher infection (p < 0.0001), thrombosis (p = 0.003) and hematoma (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS Renal function appears to be significantly associated with vascular access-site complications. Worsening renal function is associated with higher vascular access site complications, largely driven by an increased infection rate.
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Applied Experimentally to Gloves Used for Food Preparation

Droplets of saliva containing herpes simplex virus type 1 were placed on latex disposable gloves. The temperature at the surface of the gloved hand was 34°C. There was no loss of infectious virus before 15 min. Between 15 and 30 min there was a 2-log-cycle drop in titer, and infectious virus could still be recovered after 1 h, the longest period tested. The drop in titer was due to drying of the saliva, which occurred at approximately 21 min. Infectious virus was transferred by touch to lettuce and ham at 0 min when the virus-containing droplets were in a liquid condition, and after 30 and 60 min when the droplets were dry.
NAMPT-Mediated NAD+ Biosynthesis in Adipocytes Regulates Adipose Tissue Function and Multi-organ Insulin Sensitivity in Mice

Obesity is associated with adipose tissue dysfunction and multi-organ insulin resistance. However, the mechanisms of such obesity-associated systemic metabolic complications are not clear. Here, we characterized mice with adipocyte-specific deletion of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), a rate-limiting NAD(+) biosynthetic enzyme known to decrease in adipose tissue of obese and aged rodents and people. We found that adipocyte-specific Nampt knockout mice had severe insulin resistance in adipose tissue, liver, and skeletal muscle and adipose tissue dysfunction, manifested by increased plasma free fatty acid concentrations and decreased plasma concentrations of a major insulin-sensitizing adipokine, adiponectin. Loss of Nampt increased phosphorylation of CDK5 and PPARγ (serine-273) and decreased gene expression of obesity-linked phosphorylated PPARγ targets in adipose tissue. These deleterious alterations were normalized by administering rosiglitazone or a key NAD(+) intermediate, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). Collectively, our results provide important mechanistic and therapeutic insights into obesity-associated systemic metabolic derangements, particularly multi-organ insulin resistance.
Modeling of Lithiation in Silicon Electrodes

Energy is the lifeblood of modern society. Lithium-ion batteries are critically important for portable electronics, electric vehicles, and grid-level energy storage. Silicon is a promising high-capacity electrode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, it is prone to electrochemically induced mechanical degradation that can consume active lithium and result in fast capacity fade. In this chapter, we present the continuum and atomistic models of deformation and stress generation during electrochemical lithiation of silicon particles and thin films. The associated simulation results are compared with in situ and ex situ experiments, thus providing insights into electrochemically driven mechanical degradation in silicon electrodes.
Nonstandard work arrangements and worker health and safety

Arrangements between those who perform work and those who provide jobs come in many different forms. Standard work arrangements now exist alongside several nonstandard arrangements: agency work, contract work, and gig work. While standard work arrangements are still the most prevalent types, the rise of nonstandard work arrangements, especially temporary agency, contract, and "gig" arrangements, and the potential effects of these new arrangements on worker health and safety have captured the attention of government, business, labor, and academia. This article describes the major work arrangements in use today, profiles the nonstandard workforce, discusses several legal questions about how established principles of labor and employment law apply to nonstandard work arrangements, summarizes findings published in the past 20 years about the health and safety risks for workers in nonstandard work arrangements, and outlines current research efforts in the area of healthy work design and worker well-being. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:1-10, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Accuracy of Self-Reported Estimates of Daily Voice Use in Adults With Normal and Disordered Voices

Purpose Accurate estimation of daily patterns of vocal behavior is essential to understanding the role of voice use in voice disorders. Given that clinicians currently rely on patient self-report t...
Amylin as a Novel Contributor to Alzheimer’s Disease and Natural Product Inhibitor Discovery

E studies show significant association between obesity-related type 2 diabetes (T2D) and risk for cerebrovascular disease and dementia (including neurodegenerative Alzheimer’s disease, AD). Amylin is a 37-residue peptide hormone that is co-secreted with insulin from pancreatic beta cells. It is a highly amyloidogenic protein, similar to amyloid beta peptide Abeta 42 which is a well-known peptide factor involving in AD in the brain. Recent clinical studies reported that amylin plaques were deposited in the brain of diabetic patients, but not in age-matched health controls. Our cell-based studies demonstrated that amylin amyloid is highly toxic to human and mouse neuronal cell lines SH-SY5Y and Neuro2A. From a targeted screening of a collection of natural compounds used in complementary and alternative medicine, we identified that rosmarinic acid (RA) is a highly potent inhibitor against amylin amyloid formation (estimated to be one to two hundred nM in IC50) and it rescues cell viability from amylininduced cytotoxicity. Dissecting the two functional groups of rosmarinic acid, we found each group, caffeic acid and salvianic acid A respectively, have weaker-than-RA inhibitory and rescue functions, suggesting an additive effect of the two functional groups. RA can readily break up amylin amyloid in the entire course of fibrillation, reversing the amyloid formation from both thioflavin T fluorescence assay and transmission electron microscopy observations. We demonstrate that rosmarinic acid inhibits amylin amyloid via a site-specific mechanism, conjugating the amine groups in the peptide. Consistent with the experimental results, the inhibition effect by rosmarinic acid is demonstrated in computational molecular simulation analyses, providing an additional mechanism of non-covalent interactions between RA and the peptide as a way to block amylin oligomer and amyloid formation. Additional natural product inhibitor leads will also be discussed.
Reduction of bremsstrahlung recoil force on the second-order nonlinear dynamic polarization charge of a relativistic test particle

The reduction of the recoil force on the second-order dynamic polarization charge of a relativistic rest particle participating in collective bremsstrahlung in a nonequilibrium beam-plasma system is presented. Contributions arise from interaction of the self-field of the test particle in second order with the particle's own induced second-order dynamic polarization, facilitated by prior Compton conversion and scattering off the second-order dynamic polarization.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nucleic acid aptamers as diagnostic tools for prostate cancer.

B19 Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death amongst males in America. Diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer is heavily based upon cell morphology and the levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), two factors that are prone to false negatives and misdiagnosis. The identification of molecular alternatives to the detection of all tumors in general as well as cell specific markers to specific tumor types can be very useful. Nucleic acid aptamers serve as excellent detection tools due to their affinity for the target they are selected against as well their versatile nature that allows them to be coupled to molecules such as siRNA, DNA tags, quantum dots, peptides etc. We have now directly selected aptamers against prostate cancer biomarker molecules on the surfaces of cultured prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP and PC3. These cell lines differ in the expression of the tumor marker prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a very promising cell surface biomarker. LNCaP cells over-express this surface marker while PC3 have very little PSMA on their surface. Two aptamers, LN101 and LN104, selected against LNCaP cells and two aptamers, PC301 and PC304, selected against PC3 specifically were generated from negative selection while four aptamers, LP702, LP705, LP719 and LP720 were generated through positive selections. The sensitive nature of these aptamers as cancer diagnostic tools was demonstrated by FACs, confocal microscopy and a novel technique called the Proximity Ligation Assay (PLA). The principle of PLA involves the use of two affinity tags on the surface of the target, which when in proximity to one another can ligate in the presence of a connector nucleotide (splint) and the amplicon generated is detected via real-time PCR. In order to adapt aptamers to PLA, we constructed a five-piece PLA system where aptamers were annealed to specific 39and 59 DNA probes via specific RNA linkers or extensions that had been chosen based on their ability to leave the aptamer structure intact. This construct was used in target specific detection of cognate cancer cells in a heterogeneous mixture of cells, the sensitivity of detection being as efficient as 10 LNCaP and 10 PC3 cells in a mixture of 105 HeLA cells, with little to no cross-reactivity. In conclusion, aptamer-mediated PLA is extremely sensitive and target specific presenting itself as a potential molecular sensor for early cancer detection.
Diet quality on meatless days: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2012.

Objective To compare diet quality scores between adult non-meat eaters and meat eaters, and to compare the consumption of diet components across quintiles of diet quality. Design Cross-sectional analysis. The Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) were used to assess mean diet quality. Differences in consumption of diet components between quintiles of diet quality were tested using post hoc Wald tests and z tests. Setting The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007–2012. Subjects The sample consisted of 16810 respondents aged≥18 years, including 280 individuals who reported not consuming meat, poultry, game birds or seafood on two non-consecutive days of dietary recall. Dietary data were obtained from one dietary recall per individual. Results Non-meat eaters had substantially greater HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores than meat eaters (P<0·05). Among non-meat eaters, mean consumption across HEI-2010 quintiles demonstrated different (P<0·05) amounts of empty calories and unsaturated:saturated fatty acids. Mean consumption across AHEI-2010 quintiles demonstrated different (P<0·05) amounts of nuts and legumes, vegetables and PUFA. Conclusions Public health messages targeted at vegetarians and others who may choose to eat meat-free on certain days should emphasize decreased consumption of empty calories, and increased consumption of nuts and legumes, PUFA and vegetables, as a way to improve overall dietary quality.
Combined Targeted Therapy for BRAF-Mutant, Treatment-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia

A 44-year-old woman with a prior history of myxoid liposarcoma who was previously treated with radiation, chemotherapy, and resection, was admitted with syncope and pancytopenia. She was diagnosed with a high-grade therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome and treated with decitabine. Her disease soon progressed to overt acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She was treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy including cytarabine and topotecan, but she was not a candidate for further anthracycline exposure given her prior treatment for sarcoma and concern for cardiotoxicity. Her AML was refractory to two sequential induction regimens. Given that targeted genomic sequencing had revealed a BRAF V600E mutation with a high allelic fraction, she was then placed on combined targeted BRAF/MEK therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib for her refractory disease. This resulted in a dramatic response with clearance of circulating myeloblasts, restoration of normal hematopoiesis, a significant decrease in marrow leukemic burden, and a ...