cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Socialist Workers, National Heroines

This chapter examines lived experiences of women of the revolutionary generation who came of age prior to the 1949 revolution. Using life stories of female and male informants of the revolutionary cohort, this chapter presents urban women’s sense of ownership and belonging to their workplace and the feelings of heroism they experienced when participating in the projects of nation building and socialist enterprise. It finds urban women’s pursuit of obligation equality with men is the main explanation for their devotion to state projects and for the fact that they lack a sense of injustice at being paid less in the workplace and doing more at home. The data also show the variety of experiences of women from different classes.
Spermatic Cord Block

The spermatic cord block is a useful maneuver when performing procedures on the scrotal contents to minimize pain. It is also useful for patients complaining of testicular/epididymal pain prior to any more invasive procedures. A trial of local anesthesia can help select patients who would most benefit from a spermatic cord denervation surgery.
Provider perceptions on HIV risk and prevention services within permanent supportive housing

Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is an evidence-based solution to homelessness for persons experiencing chronic or long-term homelessness and one or more physical or behavioral health problems. Health services through PSH typically focus on physical and behavioral health. With the exception of programs specifically designed for persons living with HIV/AIDS, little attention has focused on services through PSH to prevent transmission of HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), yet sexual risk behavior continues after homeless persons move into PSH. The purpose of this study was to investigate how PSH providers approach HIV prevention and the challenges they perceive surrounding HIV prevention in PSH. Results serve as a critical first step toward addressing the acceptability and feasibility of providing HIV/STI prevention services to PSH residents. As part of a longitudinal mixed methods study examining HIV risk and prevention behavior among homeless unaccompanied adults moving into PSH in Los Angeles, we conducted eleven focus groups with a total of 60 frontline staff across 10 PSH agencies. Thirty-three percent of focus group participants were African American, 32% were Hispanic, and 55% were women. Results suggest that provider awareness and knowledge of PrEP is very limited, and provision of formal HIV prevention programing for residents is perceived as challenging. Informal, ad hoc conversations with residents about sexual risk and HIV prevention do occur when providers have rapport with clients and perceive risk. There are significant gaps in HIV prevention services through PSH but also opportunities to enhance providers' efforts to promote the health of residents through prevention.
Ventilation defect percent in helium-3 magnetic resonance imaging as a biomarker of severe outcomes in asthma.

Ventilation defect percent (VDP) measured in asthmatics with hyperpolarized helium-3 MRI was more strongly associated with ED visits and hospitalizations due to asthma exacerbation than were conventional biomarkers of lung function and inflammation.
Cost Analysis of PET/CT Versus CT as Surveillance for Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer After Definitive Radiation Therapy

Abstract Introduction A previous study showed that use of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for surveillance after treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) does not yield a detection or survival benefit over the use of chest CT. However, PET/CT remains a common method of follow-up imaging. Here we estimated and compared the costs of PET/CT versus CT for surveillance of patients with stage III NSCLC and identified patient and provider demographic characteristics associated with preference for use of PET/CT. Patients and Methods We reviewed 178 patients with stage III NSCLC who had received ≥ 1 PET/CT scan within 6 months of completing radiotherapy (n = 89) or had received CT after radiotherapy (n = 89) from 2000 to 2011. Costs were measured according to Medicare payments converted from institutional billing records. Total and imaging costs were analyzed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the end of treatment. Patient and provider demographic characteristics were also evaluated for potential associations with PET/CT use. Results Total costs in the PET/CT group were higher during the first 18 months after treatment (P = .002 at 6 months, P = .019 at 12 months, and P = .018 at 18 months) but was marginally significant (P = .05) at 24 months. In univariate analysis of demographic variables, patients who lived in a state different from the treatment center might have been more likely to receive PET/CT (odds ratio [OR], 1.76; P = .051). In multivariate analysis, patients treated in 2007 to 2010 (OR, 29.9; P 10 years of experience were more likely to use PET/CT than those with less experience, although this result might be confounded by the small number of providers. Conclusion Use of PET/CT was associated with higher costs for 18 months after treatment, but the difference was at the borderline of statistical significance at 24 months.
The physics of NBTI: What do we really know?

There is no consensus on the basic physical mechanism of Negative Bias Temperature Instability, in spite of thousands of publications over the past half century. There remains fundamental disagreement over whether NBTI is diffusion-limited or reaction-limited. The origins of the two viewpoints are summarized and some comments on the main controversial aspects of the two leading models are offered.
What Cognitive Neuroscience Tells Us about Creativity Education: A Literature Review.

Recently, an interest in creativity education has increased globally. Cognitive neuroscience research of creativity has provided possible implications for education, yet few literary reviews that bridge the brain and education studies have been published. This article first introduces the definitions and behavioral measures of creativity from cognitive neuroscientists’ perspectives and provides a brief overview on the brain regions and neural studies on creativity-related cognitive processes. Second, the article examines neuroscience studies on the relationship between creativity and intelligence and discusses the nature side of creativity. Third, a comprehensive review of cognitive neuroscience studies on activities that may trigger new creativity thinking is provided, followed by a discussion on the nurture side of creativity--more specifically--how these findings inform creativity education. Supportive evidence from research in cognitive psychology and education are also presented. Then the article discusses the policy implications of the findings from the literature review as they pertain to creativity skills development in formal education and training.
Inhibition of PTH-Induced Nephrocalcinosis by Phosphocitrate

Earlier studies from this Institution have suggested that phosphocitrate may play an important role in the regulation of physiological calcification1,2. It has been proposed as a constituent of normal urine and mitochondrial extracts which can prevent the transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate to crystalline phases.
Bibliographic Searching Tools on Disease Models to Locate Alternatives for Animals in Research

Nonvertebrate and vertebrate models are commonly used in research to study diseases that affect humans and animals and to clarify disease etiology and methods for disease prevention and treatment. The relevant information on models is published in a variety of resources and then indexed among free and proprietary databases. New searching tools specifically developed as a companion to this book can now be freely accessed at a designated website created as a companion for the Sourcebook of Models for Biomedical Research, where user-friendly searches can be executed at any time according to stored instructions, in a variety of databases pertaining to the relevant disease models. Some databases are freely available, such as PubMed, AGRICOLA, TOXLINE, and NCBI, as well as specialized resources such as FishBase and the JAX Mice Database. Other useful databases are proprietary, such as PsycInfo and Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts. The website can be accessed: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/Animal_Alternatives/sourcebook.html.
Lakes of Antarctica

This article reviews the major lake regions in the Antarctic continent, where focused research efforts have been made. These regions range from maritime islands located above the Antarctic Circle to the polar deserts of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. We discuss the geological and climatological setting in each of these environments and relate this setting to the evolution and diversity of the lakes. Given the ever persistent presence of ice, many of the lakes are unique. Examples include epishelf lakes where local freshwater hydrological input controls the extent to which seawater enters the lake basin of the highly saline and permanently ice-covered lakes of the McMurdo area, where bottom temperatures can reach 25 °C, despite average air temperatures of ∼−20 °C. All these lakes contain a reservoir of the history of the evolution of the Antarctic continent that must be understood to decipher contemporary geochemical and biological processes. Of great interest are the newly discovered subglacial lakes that contain ∼10% of all of the lake water on Earth. Lake Vostok, the largest of these lakes (surface area 14 000 km2, max depth ∼800 m, water volume 5400 km3) has been isolated from direct contact with the atmosphere for more than 10 My. These subglacial systems offer an exciting new paradigm for limnology. Once sampled, their results will change the way we think, not only about Antarctica, but lakes in general.
Homing Endonucleases: From Genetic Anomalies to Programmable Genomic Clippers

Homing endonucleases are strong drivers of genetic exchange and horizontal transfer of both their own genes and their local genetic environment. The mechanisms that govern the function and evolution of these genetic oddities have been well documented over the past few decades at the genetic, biochemical, and structural levels. This wealth of information has led to the manipulation and reprogramming of the endonucleases and to their exploitation in genome editing for use as therapeutic agents, for insect vector control and in agriculture. In this chapter we summarize the molecular properties of homing endonucleases and discuss their strengths and weaknesses in genome editing as compared to other site-specific nucleases such as zinc finger endonucleases, TALEN, and CRISPR-derived endonucleases.
A dependent LP-rounding approach for the k -median problem

In this paper, we revisit the classical k-median problem. Using the standard LP relaxation for k-median, we give an efficient algorithm to construct a probability distribution on sets of k centers that matches the marginals specified by the optimal LP solution. Analyzing the approximation ratio of our algorithm presents significant technical difficulties: we are able to show an upper bound of 3.25. While this is worse than the current best known 3+e guarantee of [2], because: (1) it leads to 3.25 approximation algorithms for some generalizations of the k-median problem, including the k-facility location problem introduced in [10], (2) our algorithm runs in $\tilde{O}(k^3 n^2/\delta^2)$ time to achieve 3.25(1+δ)-approximation compared to the O(n8) time required by the local search algorithm of [2] to guarantee a 3.25 approximation, and (3) our approach has the potential to beat the decade old bound of 3+e for k-median. We also give a 34-approximation for the knapsack median problem, which greatly improves the approximation constant in [13]. Using the same technique, we also give a 9-approximation for matroid median problem introduced in [11], improving on their 16-approximation.
Proposed Modification to a MLS Program for Better Student Preparation

The MLS program looked at a different way to deliver the professional year curriculum to better prepare students for clinical rotations. Our professional year consisted of lectures in our clinical courses running concurrently with clinical rotations. Over several years, some of the clinical affiliates felt the students were not as well prepared didactically as students from other programs. They also felt a three day per week rotation schedule was not enough time for the students to learn all aspects of a laboratory section. Based on these comments, a change was made for the 2016-17 academic year. During the first seven weeks of the semester, students were in class five days a week taking all the clinical course material. The final eight weeks of the semester were for rotations also five days per week. After the year, surveys were sent to the affiliates, students and faculty to comment on the change. Both students and faculty did not like the changes made. Faculty felt pressured to complete the didactic material in a shorter amount of time. Students felt they did not have enough study time before an exam was given on the material. The clinical affiliates were split about the changes made. The majority indicated that students were only somewhat better prepared. Results of performance on the ASCP certification exam were not as good as in past. Thus, the MLS program will return to the previous preparation of students for rotation.
Microbial Dynamics of Biosand Filters and Contributions of the Microbial Food Web to Effective Treatment of Wastewater-Impacted Water Sources.

ABSTRACT Biosand filtration systems are widely used for drinking water treatment, from household-level, intermittently operated filters to large-scale continuous municipal systems. While it is well-established that microbial activity within the filter is essential for the removal of potential pathogens and other contaminants, the microbial ecology of these systems and how microbial succession relates to their performance remain poorly resolved. We determined how different source waters influence the composition, temporal dynamics, and performance of microbial communities in intermittently operated biosand filters. We operated lab-scale biosand filters, adding daily inputs from two contrasting water sources with differing nutrient concentrations and found that total coliform removal increased and became less variable after 4 weeks, regardless of water source. Total effluent biomass was also lower than total influent biomass for both water sources. Bacterial community composition, assessed via cultivation-independent DNA sequencing, varied by water source, sample type (influent, effluent, or sand), and time. Despite these differences, we identified specific taxa that were consistently removed, including common aquatic and wastewater bacteria. In contrast, taxa consistently more abundant in the sand and effluent included predatory, intracellular, and symbiotic bacteria. IMPORTANCE Although microbial activities are known to contribute to the effectiveness of biosand filtration for drinking water treatment, we have a limited understanding of what microbial groups are most effectively removed, colonize the sand, or make it through the filter. This study tracked the microbial communities in the influent, sand, and effluent of lab-scale, intermittently operated biosand filters over 8 weeks. These results represent the most detailed and time-resolved investigation of the microbial communities in biosand filters typical of those implemented at the household level in many developing countries. We show the importance of the microbial food web in biosand filtration, and we identified taxa that are preferentially removed from wastewater-impacted water sources. We found consistent patterns in filter effectiveness from source waters with differing nutrient loads and, likewise, identified specific bacterial taxa that were consistently more abundant in effluent waters, taxa that are important targets for further study and posttreatment.
Finding the Middle Path: balancing Collaborative Patient Care with High-yield Medical Education

BACKROUND: The structure and purpose of inpatient rounding is widely variable. Patient care teams struggle to balance trainee education with timeliness, efficiency and communication. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate timeliness of morning rounds after implementing a family centered, multi-disciplinary rounding model and effect on intern didactic attendance. DESIGN/METHODS: We changed the rounding structure to a family centered, multi-disciplinary model on one resident medical team in a tertiary care children’s hospital. During our intervention, daily rounds occurred in patient rooms, including the family in discussion and formulation of the care plan. …
Preferential oxidation of CO in hydrogen at nonmetal active sites with high activity and selectivity

Preferential oxidation of CO in hydrogen (PROX) is an effective process for purification of H2 gas streams containing CO. Conventional PROX catalysts are usually platinum group or Au-based. However...
Unconventional oil and gas development and ambient particle radioactivity.

Unconventional oil and natural gas development (UOGD) expanded extensively in the United States from the early 2000s. However, the influence of UOGD on the radioactivity of ambient particulate is not well understood. We collected the ambient particle radioactivity (PR) measurements of RadNet, a nationwide environmental radiation monitoring network. We obtained the information of over 1.5 million wells from the Enverus database. We investigated the association between the upwind UOGD well count and the downwind gross-beta radiation with adjustment for environmental factors governing the natural emission and transport of radioactivity. Our statistical analysis found that an additional 100 upwind UOGD wells within 20 km is associated with an increase of 0.024 mBq/m3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.020, 0.028 mBq/m3) in the gross-beta particle radiation downwind. Based on the published health analysis of PR, the widespread UOGD could induce adverse health effects to residents living close to UOGD by elevating PR. Unconventional oil and gas production has increased drastically in the US, but its environmental impacts are not well known. Here, the authors show that these wells can be associated with elevated levels of airborne particle radioactivity in downwind locations.
A 50-MHz Multi-kV Power Amplifier for Ion-Beam Accelerator Utilizing an Optimized Toroidal Inductor

This paper presents the design and implementation of a 50-MHz multi-kV switch-mode power amplifier suitable for propelling ion beams in compact particle accelerators. Ions are accelerated by passing them through a series of plate-pairs driven by large high-frequency ac voltages. High frequency operation allows the overall length of the accelerator to be reduced. The presented power amplifier generates high voltages at high frequencies by utilizing a single switch resonant inverter with a high-quality-factor air-core toroidal inductor. The presence of a single switch facilitates high frequency operation by eliminating the need for complicated gate drive techniques. An analytical method for the design of high-frequency toroidal inductors is also introduced that maximizes the inductor quality factor and enables generation of high voltages without excessive loss. The inductor built using the proposed optimization method is shown to achieve a quality factor of 595, which is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. A 50-MHz prototype power amplifier designed using the proposed technique is demonstrated to achieve up to 5 kV output voltage.
Dynamic Polarization of Rab11a Modulates Crb2a Localization and Impacts Signaling to Regulate Retinal Neurogenesis

Interkinetic nuclear migration (IKNM) is the process in which pseudostratified epithelial nuclei oscillate from the apical to basal surface and in phase with the mitotic cycle. In the zebrafish retina, neuroepithelial retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) increase Notch activity with apical movement of the nuclei, and the depth of nuclear migration correlates with the probability that the next cell division will be neurogenic. This study focuses on the mechanisms underlying the relationships between IKNM, cell signaling, and neurogenesis. In particular, we have explored the role IKNM has on endosome biology within RPCs. Through genetic manipulation and live imaging in zebrafish, we find that early (Rab5-positive) and recycling (Rab11a-positive) endosomes polarize in a dynamic fashion within RPCs and with reference to nuclear position. Functional analyses suggest that dynamic polarization of recycling endosomes and their activity within the neuroepithelia modulates the subcellular localization of Crb2a, consequently affecting multiple signaling pathways that impact neurogenesis including Notch, Hippo, and Wnt activities. As nuclear migration is heterogenous and asynchronous among RPCs, Rab11a-affected signaling within the neuroepithelia is modulated in a differential manner, providing mechanistic insight to the correlation of IKNM and selection of RPCs to undergo neurogenesis.
School-based interventions targeting double burden of malnutrition and educational outcomes of adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: protocol for a systematic review

Adolescence is a period of rapid physical growth and transition between childhood to adulthood. However, in many developing countries, nutritional and epidemiological transitions are contributing to surging overnutrition, which, together with prevalent undernutrition, is resulting in the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) among adolescents. Schools as social systems have tremendous but mostly underutilized capacity to facilitate change and address a range of nutritional and associated educational concerns of adolescents and young people. The main objective of this systematic review will be to describe school-based interventions that address the multiple forms of malnutrition, and synthesize their effects on nutrition and educational outcomes among adolescents (10 − 19 − years − old) from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Comprehensive literature searches will be conducted in multiple electronic databases, including Medline (through PubMed), Embase, CENTRAL (through Cochrane Library), CINAHL, and Google Scholar. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs including controlled before-after studies, examining the effects of nutrition interventions on nutrition and educational outcomes among adolescents in LMICs. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations and full-text articles and abstract data. The quality of the included studies will be assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration’s revised tool for assessing the risk of bias for RCTs and the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool for controlled before-after studies and non-randomized controlled trials. To maximize the power of schools as a platform to reinforce the mutually beneficial relationship between adolescent nutrition and education, it is imperative to develop and implement integrated interventions connecting schools, adolescents, parents, communities, and the health care system. The results of this systematic review may provide a comprehensive state of current knowledge on the effectiveness of school-based interventions to enable future research that maximizes the impact and efficiency of integrated approaches to tackle multiple forms of malnutrition among school-going and out-of-school adolescents. PROSPERO ID: CRD42020211109
Application of a convolutional neural network for fully-automated detection of spike ripples in the scalp electroencephalogram.

Abstract Background A reliable biomarker to identify cortical tissue responsible for generating epileptic seizures is required to guide prognosis and treatment in epilepsy. Combined spike ripple events are a promising biomarker for epileptogenic tissue that currently require expert review for accurate identification. This expert review is time consuming and subjective, limiting reproducibility and high-throughput applications. New method To address this limitation, we develop a fully-automated method for spike ripple detection. The method consists of a convolutional neural network trained to compute the probability that a spectrogram image contains a spike ripple. Results We validate the proposed spike ripple detector on expert-labeled data and show that this detector accurately separates subjects with low and high seizure risks. Comparison with Existing Method The proposed method performs as well as existing methods that require manual validation of candidate spike ripple events. The introduction of a fully automated method reduces subjectivity and increases rigor and reproducibility of this epilepsy biomarker. Conclusion We introduce and validate a fully-automated spike ripple detector to support utilization of this epilepsy biomarker in clinical and translational work.
Aspirin Blocks the Infarct-Size Limiting Effect of Ischemic Postconditioning in the Rat

Ischemic postconditioning (PostC), repetitive cycles of re-occlusion, and reperfusion of the infarct-related artery immediately after reperfusion have been shown to limit myocardial infarct size in various animal models. Yet, translating the model into the clinical setting was disappointing, several clinical trials showing neutral effect. We hypothesized that aspirin loading could explain the differences between the pre-clinical and clinical studies. Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to 30-min coronary artery ligation. At 25 min of ischemia, animals received intravenous aspirin (20 mg/kg) or vehicle. Upon reperfusion half of the rats were randomized to PostC (3 cycles of 10-s re-occlusion/10-s reperfusion. After 4-h reperfusion, rats were euthanized. Area at risk was assessed by blue dye and infarct size by 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium-chloride (TTC). Body weight and the size of the ischemic area at risk were comparable among groups. Infarct size expressed as a percentage of the ischemic area at risk was significantly smaller in the PostC group (13.9 ± 0.4%; p < 0.001) compared to the control group (31.0 ± 2.2%). Aspirin alone had no effect on infarct size (29.0 ± 2.6%). Yet, aspirin completely blocked the protective effect of PostC (33.3 ± 1.1%). Aspirin, administered before reperfusion, blocks the infarct size limiting effects of PostC in the rat.
Patterns of Pre-Treatment Reward Task Brain Activation Predict Individual Antidepressant Response: Key Results from the EMBARC Randomized Clinical Trial

ABSTRACT Background The lack of biomarkers to inform antidepressant selection is a key challenge in personalized depression treatment. This work identifies candidate biomarkers by building deep learning predictors of individual treatment outcomes using reward processing measures from functional MRI, clinical assessments, and demographics. Methods Participants in the Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care (EMBARC) study (n = 222) underwent reward processing task-based functional MRI at baseline and were randomized to 8 weeks of sertraline (n = 106) or placebo (n = 116). Subsequently, sertraline non-responders (n = 37) switched to 8 weeks of bupropion. The change in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (ΔHAMD) was measured after treatment. Reward processing, clinical measurements, and demographics were used to train treatment-specific deep learning models. Results The predictive model for sertraline achieved R2 of 48% (95% CI 33-61%, p Conclusions These findings demonstrate the utility of reward processing measurements and deep learning to predict antidepressant outcomes and to form multimodal treatment biomarkers.
PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF PARKINSONISM.

Publisher Summary This chapter defines the conditions known as Parkinson's disease and examines the pertinent pathophysiology, especially with regard to the fusimotor system. Parkinsonism represents a complex of symptoms and etiologies. The chapter outlines common approaches to drug therapy and examines the methodology employed for screening and designing new drugs, particularly the effects of Parkinsonimimetic or tremor-producing agents as they might contribute to the understanding of Parkinsonism. Antihistamines are used effectively in the treatment of true Parkinson's disease and of drug-induced Parkinsonism. Methods abound for the screening for satisfactory anti-Parkinson agents ranging from the relatively simple to the complex. The earliest approach has been empirical: the bioassay for cholinergic-blocking action. Harmine and harmaline have been used for the treatment of postencephalitic Parkinsonism and investigated for their extrapyramidal activity. Tremorine, 1,4-dipyrrolidino-2-butyne, is an especially useful harmacological tool for the evaluation of anti-Parkinson drugs. The in vitro antagonism of acetylcholine in isolated tissue preparations has been considered to be a valuable tool for the preliminary screening of anti-Parkinson drugs in view of the relative effectiveness of cholinergic-blocking agents in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The use of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) has been suggested as a possible screening tool for anti-Parkinson drugs. The chapter also briefly reviews the nature of drug-induced Parkinsonism for the insights it might furnish in determining a rational approach to the pharmacotherapy of Parkinson's disease. Control of drug-induced extrapyramidal reactions is frequently achieved by withdrawing the causative agent, or by the use of standard anti-Parkinson drugs.
1 The Enzymology of Control by Phosphorylation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the protein phosphorylation–dephosphorylation reactions and the classification of protein kinases and phosphoprotein phosphatases. In protein phosphorylation reactions, it is common for a single protein to serve as the substrate for more than one kinase. In some instances, different kinases catalyze the phosphorylation of identical sites in the protein substrate, but, more commonly, each kinase has its own site preference as protein kinases exhibit a moderately high degree of specificity for particular amino acid sequences surrounding phosphorylatable amino acid residues. In practice, protein kinases can be divided into broad classes, based on whether the amino acid acceptor of the phosphoryl residue is (1) a protein alcohol group (i.e., the protein serine and protein threonine kinases), (2) a protein phenolic group (i.e., the protein tyrosine kinases), and (3) a protein nitrogen-containing group (i.e., the protein, histidine and lysine kinases). The chapter focuses on the protein phosphorylation and the regulation of biological processes. Kinetic parameters that are altered by ligand binding are usually the same as those changed by phosphorylation.
Current concepts of prolonged or irregular endometrial shedding.

Abstract In four years 75 specimens of endometria showing the characteristic picture of irregular (prolonged) shedding were seen in the gynecological pathology laboratory at Stanford University Hospitals. Eliminating biopsy specimens, duplications of patients, and those with atypical histories, 49 cases remained for study. In this group, the largest series yet reported, clinical characteristics were essentially those previously described. Irregular shedding is typically a regularly recurring menorrhagia in which the bleeding phase of the cycle requires seven to fourteen days for completion, without subsequent prolongation of the cycle. The diagnosis is made by recovering retained secretory endometrium five or more days after the onset of menstrual bleeding. This disorder probably accounts for at least 15 per cent of the instances of abnormal uterine bleeding not associated with disordered pregnancy or malignancy. Details of four instructive cases are presented and illustrated. Etiological factors are discussed and therapeutic suggestions, other than curettage and hysterectomy, are noted for future trial. The widespread occurrence of irregular shedding of the endometrium, and its adaptability as an explanation for selected examples of menorrhagia warrant its more general acceptance as a major variety of dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
Studies of chemical modifications of proteins by carbon 13 neuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Reaction of hen egg white lysozyme with iodine.

The reaction of iodine with aromatic residues of hen egg white lysozyme is examined by means of natural abundance 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In the unfractionated product of the reaction at PH 5.5 (with I2/lysozyme molar ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.5), the only detectably modified aromatic residues are Trp-108 and either Tyr-20 or Tyr-23 (probably the latter). The rates of reaction at the two sites are similar. The extents of modification (at each site) are approximately 25%, 50%, and approximately greater than 80% for I2/lysozyme molar ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.5, respectively. At pH 4.5, the rates of reaction of both residues are about one-third or less of the rates at pH 5.5. When the reaction is carried out at pH 8.5 (with an I2/lysozyme molar ratio of 1.0), only the tyrosine residue is modified. Resonances observed in the spectra of the modified protein mixtures (but not in the spectrum of intact lysozyme) indicate that the modified Trp-108 residue is not oxindolealanine, but either delta1-hydroxytryptophan or an ester thereof. This result is consistent with previous evidence which indicates that the modified tryptophan is the Glu-35 ester of delta1-hydroxytryptophan-108 (Imoto, T., and Rupley, J.A. (1973) J. Mol. Biol. 80, 657-667; Beddell, C. R., Blake, C. C. F., and Oatley, S. J. (1975) J. Mol. Biol. 97, 643-654). The spectra also indicate that the modified tyrosine residue is predominantly monoiodinated. The spectra of modified protein samples subjected to denaturation with 6M guanidinium chloride for 24 h at 37 degrees (and the renatured) indicate that residue 108 is converted to about equal amounts of the two diastereoisomers of oxindolealanine. However, incubation in 6M guanidinium chloride for 2 h at 25 degrees does not cause measurable hydrolysis of the Glu-35 ester of delta1-hydroxytryptophan-108.
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is a United States Department of Energy user facility currently under construction on the campus of Michigan State University. Based on a 400 kW, 200 MeV/u heavy-ion driver linac, FRIB will deliver high-quality fast, thermalized, and re-accelerated beams of rare isotopes with unprecedented intensities to a variety of experimental areas and equipment. New science opportunities at the frontiers of nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental symmetries, and societal applications will be enabled by this future world-leading rare-isotope beam facility.
Fatigue and plasma cytokine concentrations at rest and during exercise in patients with sarcoidosis.

Background: Patients with sarcoidosis exhibit exercise intolerance-related fatigue and increased levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines at rest. Exercise may result in increased plasma cytokine levels (PCLs) in healthy adults, but such a relationship has not been studied in sarcoidosis patients. Objectives: To assess relationship of fatigue in sarcoidosis with PCLs at rest and with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Methods: We assessed lung function, CPET data, multidimensional fatigue inventory, plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations before, immediately after, and 4–6 h following CPET in 22 sarcoidosis patients (13 receiving immunomodulatory drugs) and 22 controls. Results: Patients exhibited greater fatigue, reduced cardiorespiratory function, higher Medical Research Council (MRC) scores and higher plasma TNF-α concentrations than controls at all times. Plasma IL-1β levels did not differ between cohorts. Patients exhibited a 28% increase (statistically not significant) in TNF-α level immediately post exercise. Plasma IL-β concentrations did not change among cohorts. Treated patients exhibited higher MRC and physical fatigue scores and lower breathing reserve, but no differences in cardiorespiratory function or PCLs compared to untreated patients. In treated patients, pre-exercise plasma IL-1β correlated with physical fatigue, reduced motivation and total fatigue; TNF-α levels only correlated with general fatigue score. Conclusion: Treated sarcoidosis patients exhibit a relation between physical fatigue, reduced motivation and total fatigue and pre-exercise plasma IL-1β concentrations. Acute exercise does not increase PCLs. Whether the reduced MRC score and physical fatigue in treated patients is related to the therapy or to the underlying inflammatory process is difficult to determine. Please cite this paper as: Baydur A, Alavy B, Nawathe A, Liu S, Louie S and Sharma OP. Fatigue and plasma cytokine concentrations at rest and during exercise in patients with sarcoidosis. Clin Respir J 2011; 5: 156–164.
Assessing Ohio's Edison technology program: lessons for the future

Summary form only given. The Thomas Edison Technology Center Program in Ohio is a collaborative effort between business, government and academe designed to assist technology-based enterprises. Embedded within this program are seven R&D centers scattered across the state-each with its own specialized field and approach to assisting technology development. These fields include such areas as polymers, welding, biotech, and materials design. The most recent assessment concluded the program has provided millions of dollars in benefits to the state's economy. In the past 20 years, the program has received numerous accolades that cite it as a program others should emulate. One of the strengths of the Edison Program-the unique nature of each center-is also one of the reasons that assessment is somewhat difficult. This uniqueness is derived from three factors. The first is that each center is based on a particular industry. The second factor is the configuration of the center. Administrative R&D centers have a relatively small staff involved in coordinating research projects being conducted at research sites scattered across its membership. Finally, it is important to realize that each center has major constituents with potentially divergent interests. The state founded this program as an economic development engine and therefore is concerned with job creation and a healthy tax base.
CaCO3 solubility in marine sediments: Evidence for equilibrium and non-equilibrium behavior

Studies of the ion concentration product (ICP) [Ca2+] × [CO32−]in the pore waters of marine sediments have been carried out using in situ sampling techniques. For sediments near the sedimentwater interface the ICP of the pore waters is indistinguishable from that predicted from laboratory studies of calcite solubility at 1 atm. The pressure dependence of calcite solubility is also consistent with laboratory studies. At depths greater than ten to fifteen cm enhanced solubility is almost always seen. In some instances ICP gradients occur in the upper 15 cm. The ICP increases indicate that calcite solubility cannot be adequately described by a single thermodynamic equilibrium constant.
Epithelial GM-CSF Induction by Candida glabrata

The main cytokine induced by the interaction of oral epithelial cells with C. glabrata is granulocyte monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF); however, the mechanisms regulating this response are unknown. Based on previously published information on the interactions of C. albicans with oral epithelial cells, we hypothesized that interaction with viable C. glabrata triggers GM-CSF synthesis via NF-kappaB activation. We found that C. glabrata-induced GM-CSF synthesis was adhesion-dependent, enhanced by endocytosis, and required fungal viability. NF-kappaB activation was noted during interaction of epithelial cells with C. glabrata, and pre-treatment with an NF-kappaB inhibitor partly inhibited GM-CSF synthesis. Blocking TLR4 with anti-TLR4 antibody did not inhibit GM-CSF production. In contrast, an anti-CDw17 antibody triggered significant inhibition of NF-kappaB activation and GM-CSF synthesis. beta-glucans did not stimulate GM-CSF synthesis, suggesting that the CDw17/NF-kappaB/GM-CSF pathway may be beta-glucan-independent. This study provides new insights into the mechanism of GM-CSF induction by C. glabrata.
Nonlinear Optical Microscopy for Imaging Patterned Self-Assembled Monolayers

We have used the inherent surface sensitivity of second harmonic generation (SHG) to develop an instrument for nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopy of surfaces and interfaces. This optical technique is ideal for imaging nanometer thick self-assembled monolayers (SAM’s) which have been patterned using photolithographic techniques. In this paper we demonstrate the application of SHG microscopy to patterned SAM’s of the noncentrosymmetric molecule calixarene and discuss other potential applications for this new technique.
Saliva of the tick Ixodes dammini inhibits neutrophil function.

Abstract Pilocarpine-induced saliva of adult female Ixodes dammini ticks inhibits the function of peritonealderived rat neutrophils, as measured by anaphylatoxin-induced aggregation, FMLP-induced granule enzyme secretion, zymosan-induced superoxide secretion, and phagocytosis of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes. Inhibition ranged from 40 to 80% when saliva was diluted 20 times into the assay medium. This neutrophil-inhibiting activity of I. dammini saliva may aid in tick feeding and facilitate pathogen transmission.
Ordered Mesoporous Ceramics Stable up to 1500 °C from Diblock Copolymer Mesophases

In the present study, a poly(isoprene-block-dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer (PI-b-PDMAEMA) is used to structure-direct a polysilazane pre-ceramic polymer, commercially known as Ceraset. To the polymer was added a 2-fold excess in weight of the silazane oligomer (Ceraset). The resulting composite was cast into films, and after cooperative self-assembly of block copolymer and Ceraset, the structure was permanently set in the hexagonal columnar morphology, as evidenced by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cross-linking of the silazane oligomer was achieved with a radical initiator at 120 °C. Upon heating of the composite to 1500 °C under nitrogen, the structure is preserved and a mesoporous ceramic material is obtained, as demonstrated by SAXS and TEM. The pores are open and accessible, as evidenced by nitrogen sorption/desorption measurements indicating a surface area of about 51 m2 g-1 and a pore diameter of 13 nm, consistent with TEM analys...
Developmentally regulated expression of the cold-inducible RNA-binding motif protein 3 in euthermic rat brain

Abstract mRNA-binding proteins are critical regulators of protein synthesis during neural development. We demonstrated previously that the cold-inducible mRNA-binding protein 3 (RBM3) is present within euthermic neurons and that it enhances translation. Other studies have attributed anti-apoptotic and proliferative functions to RBM3. Here we characterize the developmental expression of RBM3 in rat brain. RBM3 is expressed widely during early brain development, peaking in the first to second postnatal weeks. This is followed by a decline in most brain regions and a shift from a nuclear to a more somatodendritic distribution by ∼ P13. The highest levels of RBM3 in adult brain were observed in the cerebellum, olfactory bulb, proliferating cell fields and other regions reported to have high translation rates. RBM3 was expressed in glutamatergic and GABAergic cells, subtypes of which exhibited strong dendritic labeling for RBM3 mRNA and protein. Expression of RBM3 was also high in newly formed and migrating neurons marked by Ki67, nestin, and doublecortin, such as those in the subventricular zone and rostral migratory stream. These results indicate that expression of RBM3, a cold stress-responsive mRNA-binding protein, is dynamically regulated in the developing brain and suggest that it contributes to translation-dependent processes underlying proliferation, differentiation, and plasticity.
Comment on “Plastic deformation and fracture behavior of a Fe-modified Al3Ti-base L12 intermetallic alloy” [J. Mater. Res. 6, 957 (1991)]: The importance of specimen length-to-width ratios and end constraints in compression testing of brittle and semibrittle materials

Specimen length-to-diameter ratios and specimen/platen end conditions are important to interpretation of, and comparisons between, uniaxial compression tests on brittle materials. When differing l:d ratios and specimen/platen end conditions are used to test pressure-sensitive materials, observations may not be readily comparable owing to the different and nonuniform triaxial stress states. Specimens of brittle Fe- and Ni-modified Al3Ti intermetallic alloys having relatively low and different l:d ratios were tested in compression by Gengxiang et al. and Turner et al., respectively. Qualitative observations on the macroscopic deformation and failure modes (shear failure and distributed microcracking) indicate that the alloys are pressure-sensitive and that the results were possibly complicated in differing degrees by test configuration. Thus, direct comparison of these results with those obtained earlier for Al3Ti by Yamaguchi et al., who used a significantly greater l:d ratio, may not be altogether useful. Approaches to minimizing end effects are reviewed.
Nondestructive monitoring of stress relaxation in welded steel plates

This study investigates transverse stress relaxation in welded steel plates. Two different methods of stress measurement were used; strain gages and critically refracted longitudinal (L C R ) waves. The material investigated was ASTM 1008/1010 steel. T-shaped slots were cut from each edge of each specimen in order to provide a uniaxial tension stress field in the area of investigation. After the plates were stress-relieved by annealing, the transverse slots were then welded and allowed to cool. Strain gages were applied to the bridge area joining the middle of the plate and oriented parallel to the long side of the plate. Initial strain gage and ultrasonic measurements were then performed. At different time intervals, cutting through a sample plate's welds relieved the stresses. Strain gage and ultrasonic measurements were then repeated. Both the strain gage and L C R methods indicate that there is a measurable stress relaxation in the plates, and that it occurs in a time-dependent and predictable manner.
Ethical considerations in live donor transplantation: should complications be tolerated?

Purpose of reviewAlthough living donor transplantation is considered an ethically acceptable undertaking for the purpose of saving another's life, its safety remains under investigation.Recent findingsAlthough living donors undertake considerable medical risks for no direct medical benefit, the ques
Simulation of elastic stresses and polarization in piezoelectric ceramic by the finite difference method

Abstract Stresses and polarization within a piezoelectric ceramic have been simulated via numerical boundary-value analysis. A Finite Difference algorithm was written to calculate the elastic response by using the Airy stress function method. Tetragonal anisotropy in the elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties were included in the model. A two-dimensional plane stress analysis is used to calculate the solution for the distribution of stresses within the ceramic. The method assumes that a uniform poling field provides alignment of elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties along a preferred axis. Stresses may be applied at the boundary of the model in either a uniform and in a nonuniform manner to simulate forces imposed on the specimen. The elastic response and the resulting polarization and the stresses created are used to calculate the piezoelectric stress coefficients d 33 and d 31. Simulation results were compared with test data taken on a Berlincourt d 33 meter. The conclusions from ...