cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DETERMINATION OF REGIONS IN THE DIHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE STRUCTURE THAT INTERACT WITH THE MOLECULAR CHAPERONIN GROEL

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) from Escherichia coli does not interact with the molecular chaperonin GroEL regardless of whether the interaction is initiated from the native or the unfolded state. In contrast, murine DHFR shows a strong interaction with GroEL. Using the structure of human DHFR as a model for the murine protein, a superimposition of the two structures shows that there are three distinct external loops in the eukaryotic DHFR that are not present in the E. coli protein. Removal of one loop (residues 99−108) from the eukaryotic murine DHFR has no effect on the interaction with GroEL. On the basis of the differences in structures, we inserted either of two surface loops of murine DHFR into the corresponding regions of E. coli DHFR. In the first mutant (EcDHFR-i936), residues 36 and 37 (L-N) of E. coli DHFR were replaced with the nine amino acid sequence T-T-S-S-V-E-G-K-Q. In the second mutant (EcDHFR-i7136), residues 136−139 (V-F-S-E) of E. coli DHFR were replaced with the seven amino acid seq...
Hydroxyurea therapy in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Hydroxyurea was administered to 20 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. The white blood cell counts decreased to normal in all the patients, anemia improved, splenomegaly decreased or disappeared, thrombocytosis was corrected, and bone marrow improvement occurred in all the patients. Megaloblastosis was noted consistently. Hydroxyurea was effective in treating chronic meylogenous leukemia refractory to busulfan. Hydroxyurea did not prevent the development of the acute phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia, hemolysis, or myelofibrosis. The chief systemic reaction was reversible myelo-suppression and an unusual dermatologic alteration. Hydroxyurea is as effective as busulfan and may be utilized as a primary therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Piloting a computer assisted telephone interview: the FUCHSIA Women’s Study

Loss of fertility has been reported as an important concern of reproductive age women diagnosed with cancer. The Furthering Understanding of Cancer, Health, and Survivorship In Adult (FUCHSIA) Women’s Study examines how cancer treatment affects the fertility of cancer survivors who were diagnosed during their reproductive years. In this paper we discuss the process of developing and pilot testing the FUCHSIA computer assisted telephone interview (CATI). The CATI was developed in several phases and pilot tested twice to evaluate several aspects of the instrument including question sequencing, understandability of the questions, and women’s comfort with certain questions. Participants were recruited from cancer and infertility support groups and study team contacts. Fifty-two women were recruited and participated in the first pilot. The participants had a mean age of 31.5 years, 17.3% had cancer, and 38.5% experienced a period of infertility. Twenty-four women participated in the second pilot with similar representation. The collection of detailed information on reproductive outcomes with the CATI may improve the understanding of how cancer treatment during the reproductive years affects female fertility. The pilot studies provided important information to improve the CATI before the full study. Our comprehensive recruitment strategy allowed us to interview a diverse group of women to ensure that questions and answer choices were easily interpreted, check complicated skip patterns and the flow of questions, and evaluate the length of the interview. This experience can be used to help inform others in what steps can be useful for developing telephone interviews for research studies.
Mutations in the VHL gene from potassium bromate-induced rat clear cell renal tumors.

Potassium bromate (KBrO3) is a rat renal carcinogen and a major drinking water disinfection by-product in water disinfected with ozone. Clear cell renal tumors, the most common form of human renal epithelial neoplasm, are rare in animals but are inducible by KBrO3 in F344 rats. Detection of cytoplasmic periodic acid-Schiff-positive granules in clear cell tumors, indicative of glycogen accumulation, provides evidence of their biochemical similarity to human counterparts. Mutation in the coding region of the von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) gene is frequently detected in human clear cell renal carcinomas. Detection of VHL mutations in KBrO3-induced rat renal tumors could enhance the relevancy of these rat renal tumors for human health risk assessment. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded control tissues and renal tumors from male F344 rats exposed to KBrO3 in the drinking water for 2 years were examined microscopically and were microdissected for DNA extraction. The coding sequence and a promoter region of the VHL gene were examined by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism and/or DNA sequencing. Two of nine clear cell renal tumors carried the same C to T mutation at the core region of the Sp1 transcription factor binding motif in the VHL promoter and one of four untreated animals had C to T mutation outside the highly conserved core region. Mutation in the VHL coding sequence was only detected in one tumor. No VHL mutations were observed in three chromophilic tumors. KBrO3-induced rat renal tumors are morphologically similar to their human counterpart but the genetic basis of tumorigenesis is different. q 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reduced anxiety-like and cognitive performance in mice lacking the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1.

Abstract Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has been hypothesized to be involved in the pathophysiology of anxiety, depression, cognitive and feeding disorders. Two distinct CRF receptor subtypes, CRFR1 and CRFR2, are thought to mediate CRF actions in the CNS. However, the role for each receptor subtype in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders remains to be determined. Using CRFR1 deficient mice, the present study investigated the functional significance of this CRF receptor subtype in anxiety-like and memory processes. CRFR1 knockout mice displayed an increased exploratory behavior in both the Elevated Plus-maze (EPM) and the Black and White (B–W) test box models of anxiety, indicating an anxiolytic-like effect of the CRFR1 gene deletion. In contrast, during the retrieval trial of a two-trial spatial memory task wild type mice made more visits to and spent more time in the novel arm as opposed to the two familiar ones of a Y-maze apparatus. No increase in the level of exploration of the novel arm by the CRFR1 deficient mice was observed. This indicates that CRFR1 knockout mice are impaired in spatial recognition memory. These results demonstrate that genetic deletion of the CRFR1 receptor can lead to impairments in anxiety-like and cognitive behaviors, supporting a critical role for this receptor in anxiety and cognitive biological processes.
Alteration of ouabain toxicity by cardiac denervation

Abstract Interruption of cardiac sympathetic innervation by surgical procedures, spinal anesthesia, ganglionic blockade, or reserpine pretreatment altered ouabain toxicity by increasing threshold arrhythmic and lethal doses, decreasing maximal ectopic rate, and decreasing incidence of ventricular fibrillation as the terminal event. Removal of parasympathetic innervation to the heart failed to modify ouabain toxicity.
Phenological event detection from multitemporal image data

Monitoring biomass over large geographic regions for seasonal changes in vegetation and crop phenology is important for many applications. In this paper we a present a novel clustering based change detection method using MODIS NDVI time series data. We used well known EM technique to find GMM parameters and Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) for determining the number of clusters. KL Divergence measure is then used to establish the cluster correspondence across two years (2001 and 2006) to determine changes between these two years. The changes identified were further analyzed for understanding phenological events. This preliminary study shows interesting relationships between key phenological events such as onset, length, end of growing seasons.
The state of aggregation of methyl orange in water

The electrical conductances, UV-visible absorbances, and osmotic coefficients of aqueous solutions of methyl orange, sodium 4-(4′-dimethylaminophenyldiazo)-phenylsulfonate, have been measured at 25°C. From the behavior of these quantities as a function of concentration it is concluded that the methyl orange anion is almost completely dimerized above 0.2 mM and undergoes further aggregation above 1 mM. Literature values of the osmotic coefficients of aqueous methyl orange at 50 and 60°C are fitted to the monomer-dimer equilibrium yielding values of the dimer formation constant, Kd. Extrapolation to 25°C yields an estimate of Kd=9200 at this temperature. This result is shown to be consistent with the conductance data at 25°C presented here.
Synthesis of 2‐variable active RC networks

A general procedure is outlined to realize an arbitrary stable 2-variable transfer function. The complete realization utilizes only resistors, capacitive elements and operational amplifiers; moreover, it is characterized by low active and passive sensitivities. The method may easily be extended to the realization of multivariable transfer functions.
The effects of selective A1 and A2a adenosine receptor antagonists on cerebral ischemic injury in the gerbil.

Cerebral ischemia of 5 min duration was induced in unanesthetized Mongolian gerbils by bilateral occlusion of the carotid arteries. The extent of ischemic injury was assessed behaviorally by measuring the increases in locomotor activity following ischemia and by a histopathological assessment of the extent of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cell injury and loss 5 days after ischemia. The A2a adenosine receptor selective antagonists 8-(3-chlorostyryl) caffeine (CSC; 0.1 mg/kg i.p.) and 4-amino-1-phenyl[1,2,4]-triazolo[4,3-a] quinoxaline (CP 66,713; 0.1 mg/kg i.p.) reduced the extent of ischemia-induced injury. An A1 selective receptor antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX; 1.0 mg/kg i.p.), enhanced ischemia-evoked injury. These results suggest that adenosine A2a receptor antagonists may be useful for the prevention of cerebral injuries resulting from stroke or cardiac arrest.
Oxomolybdenum(V) polyanion clusters. Hydrothermal syntheses and structures of (NH4)5Na4{Na[Mo6O12(OH)3(O3PC6H5)4)]2}·6H2O (C6H5CH2NMe3)4K4{K2[Mo6O12(OH)3(O3PC6H5)4]2}·10H2O and their relationship to the binuclear (Et4N)[Mo2O4Cl3(H2O)3]·5H2O

Abstract The hydrothermal syntheses of the binuclear Mo(V) species (Et4N)[Mo2O4Cl3(H2O)3]·0.5H2O (3·0.5H2O) and of the hexanuclear (NH4)5Na4{Na[Mo6O12(OH)3(O3PC6H5)4)]2}·6H2O (1·6H2O) and (C6H5CH2NMe3)4K4{K2[Mo6O12(OH)3(O3PC6H5)4]2}·10H2O (2·10H2O) are described. X-ray crystallography revealed that both 1·6H2O and 1·10H2O contain the cyclic Mo(V) anion [Mo6O12(OH)3(O3PC6H5)4]5− as the fundamental structural motif. This hexanuclear core may be considered as a trimer constructed from {Mo2O10} units consisting of edge-sharing octahedra with alternating short-long Mo(V)Mo(V) distances. The structure of 3·0.5H2O provides a structural prototype for this binuclear unit. Crystal data: 1·6H2O, C48H78N5O60Na5P8Mo12, monoclinic C2/c, a = 31.254(7), b = 30.441(6), c = 13.455(3) A , β = 112.87(2)°, V = 11 795(2) A 3 , Z = 4, Dcalc = 1.80 g cm−3, 2162 reflections, R = 0.069; 2·10H2O, C88H130N4O64P8K6Mo12, monoclinic P2/c, a = 19.203(4), b = 17.221(4), c = 20.949(5) A , b = 98.91(3)°, V = 6844(1) A 3 , Z = 2, Dcalc = 1.86 g cm−3, 4181 reflections, R = 0.065; 3·0.5H2O, C8H27NO7.5Cl3Mo2, monoclinic P21/n, a = 7.923(2), b = 12.255(3), c = 20.511(3) A , β = 100.83(2)°, V = 1956.2(6) A 3 , Z = 4 , Dcalc = 1.89 g cm−3, 2161 reflections, R = 0.060.
Kif cultivation in the Rif Mountains

Kif is the Moroccan word for marihuana. It is a general name that covers all preparations that are smoked. These preparations are different from those encountered in North America in that only the blossoms of the mature female plant are used. Another difference is that the blossoms are always mixed with an equal amount of tobacco. Its use is widespread throughout the country among adult males as it has been for centuries.
Kinetics of the Pd/In thin-film bilayer reaction: implications for transient-liquid-phase wafer bonding

The kinetic behavior of the Pd/In bilayer reaction is analyzed, with emphasis on the effect of nanometer-scale diffusion barriers at the Pd/In interface. It is shown that the Pd/In reaction proceeds rapidly and without a discernable incubation period at temperatures below 200 C if the Pd/In interface is nominally free of either contamination or intentionally-deposited intervening layers. Air exposure of the Pd surface prior to In deposition is sufficient to delay the onset of the reaction to produce the intermetallic phase by PdIn3 for several minutes at 200 C. This incubation period can be further controlled by deposition of a nanometer-scale Ti layer onto the Pd prior to air exposure and In deposition. The implications of these results for the design of transient-liquid-phase waferbonding processes based on Pd−In are discussed.
Strichartz and smoothing estimates for Schrödinger operators with large magnetic potentials in R3

We present a novel approach for bounding the resolvent of a Schroedinger operator with a large first-order perturbation. It is shown here that despite the size of the perturbation, its associated Born series is absolutely convergent at sufficiently high energies. This requires suitable smoothness and polynomial decay of the scalar and vector (magnetic) potentials. Such a result is well known in the scalar case, but is more difficult for vector potentials because the gradient term exactly cancels the natural decay of the free resolvent. To control the individual terms of the Born series, we introduce a conical decomposition of the resolvent and then sum over all possible combinations of cones. Chains of cones that all point in the same direction lead to a factorial gain typical of iterated Volterra-type operators. On the other hand, cones that are not aligned contribute little due to the decay of Fourier transforms. We make no use of micro-local analysis, but instead rely only on classical phase-space techniques. As a corollary, we show that the time evolution of the Schroedinger operator in $R^3$ satisfies global Strichartz and smoothing estimates without any smallness assumptions. We require that zero energy is neither an eigenvalue nor a resonance for this application.
Histochemical Study of Dentin in Gonadectomized Rats

Sections of dentin from intact and gonadectomized male and female rats were subjected to various histochemical reactions to determine the changes in the dentin after gonadectomy. The results indicated that there was an alteration in the protein-mucopolysaccharide component of the dentin and in its synthesis or state of aggregation.
Statistical and Adaptive Approaches for Optimal Segmentation in Medical Images

Image analysis techniques have been broadly used in computer-aided medical analysis and diagnosis in recent years. Computer-aided image analysis is an increasingly popular tool in medical research and practice, especially with the increase of medical images in modality, amount, size, and dimension. Image segmentation, a process that aims at identifying and separating regions of interests from an image, is crucial in many medical applications such as localizing pathological regions, providing objective quantative assessment and monitoring of the onset and progression of the diseases,as well as analysis of anatomical structures.
Analysis of the Euclidean direction set adaptive algorithm

A mathematical analysis is performed on a previously reported gradient-based adaptive algorithm named the Euclidean direction set (EDS) method. It has been shown that the EDS algorithm has a computational complexity of O(N) for each system update, and a rate of convergence (based on computer simulations) comparable to the RLS algorithm. The stability of the EDS method is studied and it is shown that the algorithm converges to the true solution. It is also proved that the convergence rate of the EDS method is superior to that of the steepest descent method.
Prevalence of cholera risk factors between migrant Haitians and Dominicans in the Dominican Republic

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cholera risk factor prevalence in the Dominican Republic can be explained by nationality, independent of other factors, given the vulnerability of many Haitians in the country and the need for targeted prevention. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational household survey (103 Haitian and 260 Dominican) was completed in 18 communities in July 2012. The survey included modules for demographics, knowledge, socioeconomic status, and access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. Logistic regression assessed differential access to WASH infrastructure and Poisson regression assessed differences in cholera knowledge, controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Dominican and Haitian households differed on demographic characteristics. Haitians had lower educational attainment, socioeconomic status, and less knowledge of cholera than Dominicans (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.66; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 0.55-0.81). Access to improved drinking water was low for both groups, but particularly low among rural Haitians (aOR = 0.21; 95%CI: 0.04-1.01). No differences were found in access to sanitation after adjusting for sociodemographic confounders (aOR = 1.00; 95%CI: 0.57-1.76). CONCLUSIONS: Urban/rural geography and socioeconomic status play a larger role in cholera risk factor prevalence than nationality, indicating that Haitians' perceived vulnerability to cholera is confounded by contextual factors. Understanding the social dynamics that lead to cholera risk can inform control strategies, leading to better targeting and the possibility of eliminating cholera from the island.
Opposite-Sex Friendship: Sex Differences and Similarities in Initiation, Selection, and Dissolution

The authors hypothesized that people form opposite-sex friendships (OSFs), in part, to acquire long-term mates (both sexes), to gain short-term sexual access (men more than women), and to gain physical protection (women more than men). In Study 1, men and women evaluated reasons for initiating OSFs, characteristics preferred in an OSF, and reasons for ending OSFs. Study 2 extended the framework to include individual differences in sociosexual orientation. Compared with women, men judged sexual attraction and a desire for sex as more important reasons for initiating OSFs, reported a preference for sexual attractiveness when selecting OSFs, and judged the lack of sex as a more important reason for dissolving OSFs. Women judged physical protection as a more important reason for initiating OSFs and the lack of it as a more important reason for dissolving them. Across sex, people with an unrestricted sexual style were more likely to perceive OSFs as opportunities for sex. Discussion addresses the implications ...
Where the wild things work: capturing shared physical design workspaces

We have built and tested WorkspaceNavigator, which supports knowledge capture and reuse for teams engaged in unstructured, dispersed, and prolonged collaborative design activity in a dedicated physical workspace. It provides a coherent unified interface for post-facto retrieval of multiple streams of data from the work environment, including overview snapshots of the workspace, screenshots of in-space computers, whiteboard images, and digital photos of physical objects. This paper describes the design of WorkspaceNavigator and identifies key considerations for knowledge capture tools for design workspaces, which differ from those of more structured meeting or classroom environments. Iterative field tests in workspace environments for student teams in two graduate Mechanical Engineering design courses helped to identify features that augment the work of both course participants and design researchers.
Hypnotherapy for Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder: A Case Study

Persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) is characterized by intrusive sexual arousal that is unresolvable via sexual activity and persists for an extended period of time. PGAD's etiology is unknown, and it has no established treatments. This case study reports on a 71-year-old female patient diagnosed with PGAD who received 9 sessions of hypnotherapy. The following measures were administered at baseline and follow-up: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and visual analogue measurements of quality of life, intensity of symptoms, and marital interference. At follow-up, there were significant improvements in all measures. Given the currently limited alternatives for treatment, this case study suggests that hypnotherapy may be beneficial for some patients with PGAD.
Parameter estimation using the autocorrelation of the discrete Fourier transform

Optimal parameter estimation algorithms are developed using the maximum likelihood technique, when no statistics are available for the parameter. Sub-optimal parameter estimates, using one sample of the autocorrelation of the DFT, have been developed previously. In this paper, maximum likelihood estimates are derived, given the auto-correlation function of the received signal's DFT. These estimates sometimes require less computation time than conventional estimates, and frequently have a closed form or simple iterative implementation.
Modified infiltration of solvated ions and ionic liquid in a nanoporous carbon

Infiltration of ions in a nanoporous carbon is responsive to the external electric field. If the liquid phase is an aqueous solution of electrolyte, the effective solid-liquid interfacial tension decreases as the voltage rises, similar to the electrowetting phenomenon at a large graphite surface. If the liquid phase is an ionic liquid, however, the effective interfacial tension increases with the voltage. The accessible nanopore volume is not dependent on the electric field. The unique phenomena should be related to the confinement effects of the nanopore inner surfaces.
Plastic yield surfaces of anisotropic porous materials in terms of effective electric conductivities

Abstract Plastic yield surface of a porous ductile material with generally anisotropic porous space is constructed in terms of the effective conductivities. Such a cross-property connection is possible provided hardening of the bulk material is negligible and porosity does not exceed 0.15–0.17. The following results are utilized: (1) computational studies of Zohdi et al. [Zohdi, T., Kachanov, M., Sevostianov, I., 2002. A microscale numerical analysis of a plastic flow in a porous material. International Journal of Plasticity 18, 1649–1659] show that, if the mentioned conditions are met, local “pockets” of plasticity remain isolated and well contained in the elastic field, resulting in approximately linear stress–strain curve, almost up to the yield point; (2) elasticity–conductivity cross-property connections for porous materials that were given in the explicit form by Sevostianov and Kachanov [Sevostianov, I., Kachanov, M., 2002. Explicit cross-property correlations for anisotropic two-phase composite materials. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 50, 253–282].
Laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy with ileal S-pouch.

Purpose Restorative proctocolectomy has revolutionized the surgical management of ulcerative colitis and familial polyposis syndromes. Though now evolved to include laparoscopy, this approach has not included alternative pouch designs such as ileal S-pouch reconstruction. This comparative analysis evaluated the combination of laparoscopic-assisted total proctocolectomy with an ileal S-pouch design.
The Challenges of First‐Generation Doctoral Students

Students who are the first in their families to graduate from college have significant challenges and yet comprise a significant percentage of the number of awarded doctorates in the United States.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 187

Abstract Evaluated spectroscopic data and level schemes from radioactive decay and nuclear reaction studies are presented for 187Hf, 187Ta, 187W, 187Re, 187Os, 187Ir, 187Pt, 187Au, 187Hg, 187Tl, 187Pb, 187Bi, and 187Po. This evaluation for A = 187 supersedes the earlier one by R.B. Firestone (1991Fi02) published in Nuclear Data Sheets 62, 159 (1991) and the 187Tl evaluation by C.M. Baglin (1999Ba24) published in Nuclear Data Sheets 86, 487 (1999). Highlights of this publication are the following: This evaluation includes first identifications of 187Hf, 187Ta (1999Be63, 2000PoZY) and 187Po (2006An11) nuclides. A B(E2)↑ = 0.080 12 was determined by 1967Bi10 for the 9/2+ state at 845 keV in 187Re Coulomb Excitation. Using this B(E2) value and the adopted 845γ ray properties, a T 1 / 2 = 54 fs 34 can be deduced for the 845 keV level of 187Re. This T1/2 yields a large B(E2)(W.u.) ≈ 1.3 × 105 for the 263γ (depopulating the same level) indicating either substantial unobserved feeding or incorrect g-ray branching intensities of this level. The decay of g.s. and isomer of 187Tl are poorly known (please see 187Tl e decay (51 s+15.60 s)). Based on 191Po α decay studies, 2002An19 establishes a 187Pb isomeric level energy at 2(15) keV and assigns J π = 13 / 2 + for the 187Pb g.s. and J π = 3 / 2 − for the isomeric state (inverse of the systematics of odd-mass Pb nuclei in this region). From 187Pb and 187Pbm mass measurements, 2005We11 determined the isomeric level energy at 33(13) keV.
Enzyme inactivation by peroxyacetyl nitrate

Isocitric dehydrogenase (NADP linked), G-6-P dehydrogenase, and malic dehydrogenase were inactivated by peroxyacetyl nitrate. The enzymes could be protected in some cases; isocitric dehydrogenase by isocitrate and NAPD, the former being more effective, and G-6-P dehydrogenase by NADP but not by G-6-P. Malic dehydrogenase was not significantly protected either by substrate or coenzyme. Inhibition of these three enzymes by cadmium ion or p-chloromercuribenzoate was prevented in the same order by the presence of substrate or coenzyme. The conclusion that peroxyacetyl nitrate inactivated the enzymes by oxidizing sulfhydryl groups was further supported by the resistance of ribonuclease, containing no sulfhydryl groups, to peroxyacetyl nitrate. 17 references, 6 figures.
Neural Substrates of Reliability-Weighted Visual-Tactile Multisensory Integration

As sensory systems deteriorate in aging or disease, the brain must relearn the appropriate weights to assign each modality during multisensory integration. Using blood-oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI) of human subjects, we tested a model for the neural mechanisms of sensory weighting, termed “weighted connections”. This model holds that the connection weights between early and late areas vary depending on the reliability of the modality, independent of the level of early sensory cortex activity. When subjects detected viewed and felt touches to the hand, a network of brain areas was active, including visual areas in lateral occipital cortex, somatosensory areas in inferior parietal lobe, and multisensory areas in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). In agreement with the weighted connection model, the connection weight measured with structural equation modeling between somatosensory cortex and IPS increased for somatosensory-reliable stimuli, and the connection weight between visual cortex and IPS increased for visual-reliable stimuli. This double dissociation of connection strengths was similar to the pattern of behavioral responses during incongruent multisensory stimulation, suggesting that weighted connections may be a neural mechanism for behavioral reliability weighting.for behavioral reliability weighting.
Twenty years of pediatric gunshot wounds: an urban trauma center’s experience

BACKGROUND: Pediatric gunshot wounds remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Recent experience in the urban pediatric population has not been extensively documented. METHODS: A retrospective review of the trauma registry identified all pediatric (age 0-16 y) gunshot wound injuries between October 1991 and August 2011. We evaluated demographic, injury location, disposition, and outcome data. We applied descriptive statistics and χ(2) with significance level set to P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: We treated 740 patients at our trauma center. Patients tended to be male (82%) and African American (72%), and most frequently were shot in the abdomen, back, or pelvic regions (26%). Patients with head or neck injuries experienced the highest mortality rate (35%), whereas the mortality rate overall was 12.7%. A total of 23% of patients were discharged directly, but 32% required an operation. We grouped data into five equal time periods, demonstrating that after decreasing through the 1990s, pediatric gunshot wounds presenting to our hospital are steadily increasing. CONCLUSIONS: We identified certain demographic and temporal trends regarding pediatric gunshot wounds, and the overall number of injuries appears to be increasing. Language: en
Hydrophilic surface modification of cyclic olefin copolymer microfluidic chips using sequential photografting

The plastic material known as cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) is a useful substrate material for fabricating microfluidic devices due to its low cost, ease of fabrication, excellent optical properties, and resistance to many solvents. However, the hydrophobicity of native COC limits its use in bioanalytical applications. To increase surface hydrophilicity and reduce protein adsorption, COC surfaces were photografted with poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) using a two-step sequential approach: covalently-bound surface initiators were formed in the first step and graft polymerization of PEGMA was then carried out from these sites in the second step. Contact angle measurements were used to monitor and quantify the changes in surface hydrophilicity as a function of grafting conditions. As water droplet contact angles decreased from 88 degrees for native COC to 45 degrees for PEGMA-grafted surfaces, protein adsorption was also reduced by 78% for the PEGMA-modified COC microchannels as determined by a fluorescence assay. This photografting technique should enable the use of COC microdevices in a variety of bioanalytical applications that require minimal nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules.
Barriers to achieving an EMR and integrated clinical information system

The field of healthcare information management has a bright future. Most health care organizations are investing heavily in this area and additional staffing will be required. Many obstacles remain, however. This is especially evident in the development of the electronic medical record. Some of these obstacles can be overcome by technology. For example, solutions are needed to facilitate data entry, to store and stage vast amounts of data, to facilitate the review of this data, and to provide online decision support. In order to succeed, we must make efficient use of our engineering and management talent.
A parallel systems approach to universal receivers

The problem of communication over a channel with unknown characteristics is addressed. The true channel is from a known set of channels, but the transmitter and receiver do not know which of these channels is actually in effect. The goal of a universal receiver is to provide nearly optimal demodulation regardless of the channel that is actually in effect. A parallel receiver implementation is proposed for a universal scheme to cope with such uncertainty. The parallel system consists of a finite number of receivers with the property that, for each channel in the set, the performance of at least one of the receivers will be within a specified performance range. Data verification is accomplished by an appropriate coding system. Sufficient conditions for the existence of such a universal receiver for a prescribed set of channels are established, procedures are outlined for the receiver design, and an example is given to illustrate the applicability of the theory. For M-ary signaling it is shown that, from an information-theoretic viewpoint, the data verification can be achieved at no extra cost by use of the intrinsic side information that is provided by an appropriate coding scheme that also provides error correction. >
Carbon‐13 NMR data for 1‐ and 2‐naphthyltrimethylstannanes and 9‐phenanthryltrimethylstannane

Carbon-13NMR data recorded in the pulsed Fourier transform mode are re- ported for 1- and 2-naphthyltrimethyl- stannanes and 9-phenanthryltrimethyl- stannane. Assignments of ring carbon resonances are based on magnitudes of tin-carbon spin-spin coupling constants, substituent chemical shifts, spin-lattice relaxation times and proton coupled spectra.
Quantifying the Language of Schizophrenia in Social Media

Analyzing symptoms of schizophrenia has traditionally been challenging given the low prevalence of the condition, affecting around 1% of the U.S. population. We explore potential linguistic markers of schizophrenia using the tweets 1 of self-identified schizophrenia sufferers, and describe several natural language processing (NLP) methods to analyze the language of schizophrenia. We examine how these signals compare with the widelyused LIWC categories for understanding mental health (Pennebaker et al., 2007), and provide preliminary evidence of additional linguistic signals that may aid in identifying and getting help to people suffering from schizophrenia.
Effects of growth hormone upon erythropoiesis in the hypophysectomized rat.

SummaryAdministration of STH to hypophysectomized rats results in peripheral reticulocytosis and increases in the percentages of nucleated erythroid elements within the bone marrow. Considerable repair of the hypoplastic marrow is induced by this agent. A rise in peripheral erythrocytic values fails to occur probably because of a concomitant increase in plasma volume.
Evaluating Rate Immunonephelometric Assays for Apo A-I and Apo B

Studies1-4 show that measurement of apolipoprotein levels, in addition to determination of the standard lipid profile, provides useful clinical information to assess risk of atherosclerosis. Concerns have been raised, however, regarding the imprecision and accuracy of these measurements.1,5 The authors evaluated the total analytical imprecision, linearity, and accuracy of rate immunonephelometric assays for apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and apolipoprotein B (apo B) using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards EP10- T protocol.6 The mean and total imprecision coefficient of variation, respectively, for each pool were apo A-I low: 0.828 g/L, 1.22%; apo A-I mid: 1.39 g/L, 1.27%; apo A-I high: 1.99 g/L, 2.26%; apo B low: 0.392 g/L, 1.40%; apo B mid: 0.872 g/L, 0.425%; apo B high: 1.40 g/L, 0.893%. The assays were linear over the tested ranges (apo A-I, 0.800 to 2.00 g/L; apo B, 0.400 to 1.40 g/L) with correlation coefficients of 0.9998 (apo A-I) and 0.9996 (apo B). Analytical biases with respect to Centers for Disease Control 1883 lyophilized apolipoprotein reference material (assigned values: apo A-I, 1.24 g/L; apo B, 0.590 g/L) were (+)2.34% for apo A-I and (-)6.78% for apo B. Previous reports have shown a consistent negative bias for nephelometric apo B measurements made on lyophilized material. Using a stable nonlyophilized apo B reference material should improve apo B measurement accuracy. The tested apo A-I and apo B rate immunonephelometric assays show low total imprecision, excellent linearity over the tested ranges, and acceptable analytical bias using currently available reference material.
Geomorphic Study of Upper Mississippi River

In order to estimate the effects of removal of snags hazardous to navigation and construction of dikes, revetment, and locks and dams on the river geomorphology, the past and present geomorphic features of the Upper Mississippi River were studied. The geomorphic features studied include: the river position, river surface area, island surface area, number of islands, riverbed surface area, surface widths, water depth, side channels, and riverbed elevations. The study results indicate that natural and man-induced activities in the last 150 yr have produced subtle changes in the river geomorphology. The low dike fields narrowed the river, created new islands and chutes, and enlarged old islands. Locks and dams have widened the river and increased the number of islands in the pools. It was concluded that 50 yr from now the river scene of the Upper Mississippi River will be essentially as it is today if no major man-made changes or natural events occur.
Determination of furan in heated foods by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Objective:To develop a method for the determination of furan in heated foods by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after headspace solid-phase microextraction(HS-SPME).Methods:After addition of deuterated internal standard(d4-furan) and 2 g sodium chloride,samples were extracted with 75 μm fibres coated with carboxen/polydimethysiloxane(30min at 25℃) and finally inserted into the injection port of the GC/MS(2 min at 280℃) for desorption.The analytes were separated on a PLOT Q capillary column,identified and quantified by mass spectrometry in SIM mode.Results:The correlation coefficients were good in the concentration range of 1 ng/g~50 ng/g,with a limit of detection(S/N≥3) of 0.2 ng/g and limit of quantification(S/N≥10) of 1.0 ng/g.The average recoveries of the method were 87.8%~92.5%,and the relative standard deviation(RSD) were in the range of 1.2%~3.1%.Conclusion:The method is sensitive,precisive and suitable for determination of furan in heated foods.
Obesity-induced lymphatic dysfunction is reversible with weight loss.

Key points Obesity induces lymphatic leakiness, decreases initial lymphatic vessel density, impairs collecting vessel pumping and decreases transport of macromolecules. Obesity results in perilymphatic inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and accumulation of T cells and macrophages. Deleterious effects of obesity on the lymphatic system correlate with weight gain. Weight loss restores lymphatic function in obese animals and decreases perilymphatic iNOS and inflammatory cell accumulation. Abstract Although clinical and experimental studies have shown that obesity results in lymphatic dysfunction, it remains unknown whether these changes are permanent or reversible with weight loss. In the current study, we used a mouse model of diet-induced obesity to identify putative cellular mechanisms of obesity-induced lymphatic dysfunction, determine whether there is a correlation between these deleterious effects and increasing weight gain, and finally examine whether lymphatic dysfunction is reversible with diet-induced weight loss. We report that obesity is negatively correlated with cutaneous lymphatic collecting vessel pumping rate (r = –0.9812, P < 0.0005) and initial lymphatic vessel density (r = –0.9449, P < 0.005). In addition, we show a significant positive correlation between weight gain and accumulation of perilymphatic inflammatory cells (r = 0.9872, P < 0.0005) and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS; r = 0.9986, P < 0.0001). Weight loss resulting from conversion to a normal chow diet for 8 weeks resulted in more than a 25% decrease in body weight and normalized cutaneous lymphatic collecting vessel pumping rate, lymphatic vessel density, lymphatic leakiness, and lymphatic macromolecule clearance (all P < 0.05). In addition, weight loss markedly decreased perilymphatic inflammation and iNOS expression. Taken together, our findings show that obesity is linearly correlated with lymphatic dysfunction, perilymphatic inflammation and iNOS expression, and that weight loss via dietary modification effectively reverses these deleterious effects.
Rett Syndrome Symptomatology in Adult Males

A survey of 297 institutionalized adults with mental retardation to determine the prevalence of symptoms of Rett syndrome is reported from the Medical Center Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Forks, ND and University of North Dakota School of Medicine.
Primary Acute Stroke Thrombectomy In 3 Hours From Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion- A pilot Study (P4.291)

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large artery occlusion (LAO) with high NIHSS (>10), especially in internal carotid artery terminus (ICA-T) are resistant to IV thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy is associated with better recanalization rates. IV thrombolysis in large clot burden (>8mm) (LCB) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) is associated with poor recanalization and outcome. However, thrombectomy in AIS with LAO within 3 hours is performed as secondary therapy after IV thrombolysis. Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility, safety and outcome of primary thrombectomy within 3 hours in AIS with NIHSS >10 from occlusion of MCA with LCB. Methods: Based on institutionally approved protocol patients with LAO (ICA-T, MCA, vertebral-basilar artery) with LCB within 3 hours were offered primary thrombectomy as an alternative to IV rtPA. They were entered into a stroke database. Patients who underwent primary MCA thrombectomy within 3 hours from 2012 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed using SAS software. Outcomes were measured using modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results: 10 patients with MCA occlusion; mean age 65±15.87 years and mean NIHSS 16±5; chose primary thrombectomy after informed consent. Thrombectomy was performed using stent-retriever device in addition to intra-arterial rtPA (2-4 mg). Mean number of passes was 1.4±.7. Near complete (TICI2b) and complete (TICI3) recanalization was observed in all patients. Mean time to recanalization from symptoms onset was 55.6±17.31 minutes. Immediate post-thrombectomy, 24 hour and 30 day NIHSS score was 2.6±1.4, 1.9±3.7 and 0 respectively. There was no procedure related complication. Asymptomatic perfusion related hemorrhage developed in 3 patients. 30 day good outcome was observed in all cases (mRS0= 30[percnt], mRS1=50[percnt], mRS2=20[percnt]).Conclusion: Our pilot study demonstrates that primary AIS thrombectomy for MCA occlusion with LCB is not only feasible and safe, but associated with complete recanalization and good functional outcome. Larger randomized controlled studies are needed. Disclosure: Dr. Lodi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Reddy has nothing to disclose. Dr. Devasenapathy has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shehadeh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hourini has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chou has nothing to disclose.
Using the Xbox Kinect™ sensor for gesture recognition

The Kinect sensor was introduced in November 2010 by Microsoft as an accessory for the Xbox 360 video game system. Shortly after the product release, multiple software frameworks became available that allows a personal computer to capture output from a stand-alone Kinect [1,2]. The Kinect contains a RGB camera and a depth sensor using an IR light source that allows the unit to output three dimensional positional data in real time. The Kinect data is organized as a stream of two 640 x 480 images acquired at a rate of 30 frames per second (fps). One of these is an ordinary 24-bit RGB video image. The other is an 11-bit depth image from which (x, y, z) positional data may be calculated. Students are well aware of the Kinect as an input device for the Xbox 360 system which makes it an ideal venue for student experimentation and independent study projects using a personal computer platform. As part of the OpenNI framework [2], middleware (NITE [3]) is available that allows the Kinect to recognize gestures. The gestures include focus (getting the Kinect's attention), wave, swipe (up, down, left or right) and circle. The gestures may be used to control user interfaces with gesture's as well as being the foundation for gaming activities. The tutorial presentation will provide attendees with detailed information on the use of the NITE middleware in the C++ development environments for the Kinect. In this tutorial we will present: • Hardware and software requirements for the development environment. • Detailed instructions for downloading of device drivers, OpenNI framework and NITE middleware and associated libraries. • "Hello World" examples for checking the functionality of the NITE middleware with Kinect unit. • An overview of the NITE middleware capabilities including functionality and limitations. • A summary of the library structure of the OpenNI and NITE frameworks. • Several simple examples of the devices capabilities including player tracking and the use of gesture recognition. • A summary of research opportunities that are student accessible. All software and materials presented during the tutorial will be provided on the author's web site so that users may quickly get their Kinect applications up and running without significant configuration issues and start-up problems.
Amiodarone-induced interstitial pneumonitis

A man aged 62 years presented with shortness of breath (SOB) for 1 week. He has a history of non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation (AF). ECG revealed AF with rapid ventricular rate and chest X-ray was consistent with pulmonary congestion. He was treated with furosemide and electrically cardioverted for AF. The patient was started on amiodarone 400 mg once daily for maintenance of sinus rhythm. Eight months later, he presented with gradual onset SOB and dry cough. SOB did not improve with diuresis (13 L negative) empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics and mechanical ventilation. Blood cultures for bacteria did not reveal any growth. Urine antigen for legionella was negative, sputum cultures did not show any bacterial growth and PCR testing for Influenza A and B, H1N1, Adenovirus, Respiratory Syncitial Virus, Human Metapneumo Virus, Parainfluenza Virus were negative. The patient underwent flexible bronchoscopy and the mucosa of the visualised airway was …
Neural computation with non-uniform population codes

A central goal of neuroscience is to understand how the responses of populations of neurons and the connectivity patterns between groups of neurons allow brains to perform computations. The Neural Engineering Framework (NEF) is a promising approach to designing neural models that perform a wide range of computations. Emerging principles of efficient coding and divisive normalization from neuroscience constrain models of neural computation, but their role in the NEF has not been described. Here, we show how efficient coding and divisive normalization are important in this approach to modeling neural computation. We show that divisive normalization in networks of neurons that encode the statistics of the environment in their tuning properties allows networks to perform Bayes-optimal computations across multiple layers in a network. The result is to incorporate several emerging principles of neural computation in an already successful modeling framework.