cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Skin Sterols VII. Removal of Δ7-Cholestenol from Blood of Rats.

Summary1. Δ7-Cholestenol or its acetate injected into the blood stream of the rat disappeared rapidly, less than half remaining in blood after 2 hours. At this time 34% of the injected Δ7-cholestenol was found in the lungs, spleen, and liver; 26% remained in these organs after 24 hours. 2. A substantial portion of the Δ7-cholestenol remaining was in the ester form. Injected Δ7-cholestenol acetate disappeared without any corresponding accumulation of free sterol. 3. Administration of free Δ7-sterol resulted in transient increases in the cholesterol content of blood, liver, lungs, and spleen. No comparable increases followed the injection of Δ7-cholestenol acetate.
Isolation and characterization of a larval lipoprotein from the hemolymph of Manduca sexta.

Abstract 1. 1. The larval high density lipoprotein (HDL) from the hemolymph of Manduca sexta, isolated by density gradient centrifugation, contains 61% protein, 37% lipid and 2% carbohydrate. 2. 2. The molecular weight of HDL is 6 × 10 5 , with two apoproteins of 2.85 × 10 5 and 8.1 × 10 4 daltons. 3. 3. The large apoprotein is destroyed by trypsin treatment of the particle, while the small one is not. 4. 4. Calculations based upon size and composition show that this particle is very different in structure from mammalian lipoproteins. It is proposed that a portion of the apoprotein occupies the central core region.
Singular integral equation with Cauchy kernel on a complicated contour

We present a reasonably comprehensive exposition of the theory of a singular integral equation with Cauchy kernel for the case in which the integration contour is a set of disjoint smooth open arcs. We construct numerical schemes for this equation and give an order estimate for the accuracy of the approximate solutions.
Study of semileptonic decays of B mesons to charmed baryons

Using data collected by the CLEO II detector at a center-of-mass energy on or near the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance, we have determined the 90{percent} confidence level upper limit B({bar B}{r_arrow}{Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}e{sup {minus}}X)/B{bold (}{bar B}{r_arrow}({Lambda}{sub c}{sup +} or {bar {Lambda}}{sub c}{sup {minus}})X{bold )}{lt}0.05 for electrons with momentum above 0.6GeV/c. We have also obtained the limit B(B{sup {minus}}{r_arrow}{Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{bar p}e{sup {minus}}{bar {nu}}{sub e})/B({bar B}{r_arrow}{Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{bar p}X){lt}0.04 at the 90{percent} confidence level and measured the ratio B({bar B}{r_arrow}{Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{bar p}X)/B{bold (}{bar B}{r_arrow}({Lambda}{sub c}{sup +} or {bar {Lambda}}{sub c}{sup {minus}})X{bold )}=0.57{plus_minus}0.05{plus_minus}0.05. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Perspectives of Social Justice Activists: Advocating against Native-Themed Mascots, Nicknames, and Logos.

This study investigated perspectives of social justice activists who directly advocate for eliminating Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos. Using consensual qualitative research methodology, the research team analyzed transcripts of interviews conducted with 11 social justice activists to generate themes, categories, and domains within the data. The five domains included (a) deleterious impact of Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (b) reasons why members of mainstream society might support Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (c) reasons why some American Indians might support Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (d) frontline advocacy efforts; and (e) coping strategies for advocates. Results provided insights into the sociopsychological processes that allow the misappropriation of American Indian culture, symbols, and imagery in sport to continue to exist in society. Findings can help counseling psychologists understand the experiences of social justice activists while a...
Control of Selective Visual Attention: Modeling the "Where" Pathway

Intermediate and higher vision processes require selection of a subset of the available sensory information before further processing. Usually, this selection is implemented in the form of a spatially circumscribed region of the visual field, the so-called "focus of attention" which scans the visual scene dependent on the input and on the attentional state of the subject. We here present a model for the control of the focus of attention in primates, based on a saliency map. This mechanism is not only expected to model the functionality of biological vision but also to be essential for the understanding of complex scenes in machine vision.
Age-related similarities and differences in brain activity underlying reversal learning.

The ability to update associative memory is an important aspect of episodic memory and a critical skill for social adaptation. Previous research with younger adults suggests that emotional arousal alters brain mechanisms underlying memory updating; however, it is unclear whether this applies to older adults. Given that the ability to update associative information declines with age, it is important to understand how emotion modulates the brain processes underlying memory updating in older adults. The current study investigated this question using reversal learning tasks, where younger and older participants (age ranges 19-35 and 61-78 respectively) learn a stimulus–outcome association and then update their response when contingencies change. We found that younger and older adults showed similar patterns of activation in the frontopolar OFC and the amygdala during emotional reversal learning. In contrast, when reversal learning did not involve emotion, older adults showed greater parietal cortex activity than did younger adults. Thus, younger and older adults show more similarities in brain activity during memory updating involving emotional stimuli than during memory updating not involving emotional stimuli.
Immunization against Tularemia: Analysis of the Effectiveness of Live Francisella tularensis Vaccine in Prevention of Laboratory-Acquired Tularemia

A retrospective analysis was made of cases of laboratory-acquired infections with Francisella tularensis among civilian employees at Fort Detrick, Maryland. The incidence and clinical presentation of tularemia during the decade 1950-1959, when the phenol-killed Foshay vaccine was used routinely for immunization of employees, were compared with similar data from the first decade (1960-1969) after the live tularemia vaccine had come into use. The incidence of typhoidal tularemia fell (from 5.70 to 0.27 cases per 1,000 at-risk employee-years; P less than 0.001), whereas the incidence of ulceroglandular tularemia remained unchanged (from 0.76 to 0.54 cases per 1,000 at-risk employee-years). Ulceroglandular tularemia in employees immunized with live vaccine was characterized by clinical signs and symptoms that were milder than those in employees vaccinated with the Foshay vaccine.
Pelletized Newspaper Bedding for Turkeys and Its Effect On Brooding Performance

Abstract Wood shavings used for poultry bedding may become increasingly difficult or expensive to obtain. A post-consumer paper product, derived of pelletized newspaper, was evaluated to determine the feasibility of its use as an alternative type of turkey bedding. Results of these trials indicate that a pelletized newspaper product can be used as successfully as pine shavings for bedding under brooding turkeys. Turkeys brooded on the newspaper bedding had weight gains equal to their shavings-brooded counterparts. Mortality was reduced by using the pelletized newspaper.
Secure Radio Resource Management in Cloud Computing Based Cognitive Radio Networks

With the rapid development of cognitive radios, spectrum efficiency in cognitive radio networks (CRN) has increased by secondary users (SU) accessing the licensed spectrum dynamically and opportunistically without creating harmful interference to primary users. However, the performance and security of CRN is considerably constrained by its limited power, memory and computational capacity. Fortunately, the advent of cloud computing has the potential to mitigate these constraints due its vast storage and computational capacity. In this paper, we propose secure radio resource management algorithm for CRN where cloud computing unit stores the spectrum occupancy information of heterogeneous wireless networks in CRN and facilitates the access of spectrum opportunities for secondary users. The proposed algorithm leverages the geolocation of secondary user and idle licensed bands to facilitate the secure allocation of radio resources to SU. Furthermore, the secondary users who provide high benefit are admitted while satisfying the quality of service (QoS) requirement of secondary users in terms of data rate and service time. We also present the design to implement the proposed algorithm on Cloud computing platform, and propose a scalable mapping method under the Storm, real time processing model to dynamically partition the geographical area according to the SU density. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed secure radio resource management algorithm.
The Diagnosis and Management of Pre-invasive Breast Disease: Flat Epithelial Atypia – Classification, Pathologic Features and Clinical Significance

Flat epithelial atypia is a descriptive term that encompasses lesions of the breast terminal duct lobular units in which variably dilated acini are lined by one to several layers of epithelial cells, which are usually columnar in shape and which display low-grade cytologic atypia. Observational studies have suggested that at least some of these lesions may represent either a precursor of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or the earliest morphological manifestation of DCIS. In contrast, the limited available clinical follow-up data suggest that the risk of both local recurrence and progression of these lesions to invasive cancer is extremely low, supporting the notion that categorizing such lesions as 'clinging carcinoma' and managing them as if they were fully developed DCIS will result in overtreatment of many patients. Additional studies are needed to better understand the biological nature and clinical significance of these lesions.
A single chip multimedia video processor

This paper describes the architecture of a "state of the art" scalable DSP processing system on a single chip. The chip is called the Multimedia Video Processor (MVP) and is the performance flagship of the Texas Instruments TMS320 DSP processor family. This chip utilizes an enhanced 0.5 /spl mu/m triple-level metal 16M DRAM CMOS process. This highly programmable chip, which can sustain over two billion RISC-like operations per second will be used in systems requiring combinations of graphics acceleration, image processing, encoding/decoding compression processing, for example JPEG, MPEG (audio and video), P/spl times/64 standards as well as proprietary compression algorithms. The MVP creates a new frontier of applications for DSP processing. >
Statin a day keeps cancer at bay

In addition to cholesterol reduction, statins, currently the most commonly prescribed drug in the world, have been shown to have anti-neoplastic and immunomodulatory effects. Several observational studies and meta-analyses have shown reduction in risk of multiple cancers. More recently there has been an increasing interest in the potential role of statins as adjuvant therapy after cancer diagnosis and in modifying cancer mortality. Although post-hoc analyses of randomized controlled trials of statins for cardiovascular outcomes have not shown reduction in the risk of cancer mortality with statin use, these studies lack sufficient power to detect a significant difference in cancer outcomes. Recently, in a Danish nationwide population-based cohort study, Nielsen et al showed a 15% reduction in all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in statin users as compared to non-users. Improved survival with statin exposure was seen in 13/27 cancer subtypes, including the 4 most common cancers - lung, prostate, colorectal and breast. In this commentary, we examine this important study, review its implications and limitations, and briefly discuss impact of other drugs like metformin and aspirin that also exhibit anti-neoplastic effects.
Edge condition of a perfectly conducting wedge with its exterior region divided by a resistive sheet

The edge condition for a perfectly conducting wedge which has its exterior region divided by a resistive sheet is derived. It is shown that the behavior of an electromagnetic field at the edge is altered as a result of the appearance of the resistive sheet but is independent of the resistance value. In particular, the singularities in the electric field components transverse to the edge in the absence of the resistive sheet have been eliminated. This assures the finiteness of the energy dissipated on the resistive sheet in the vicinity of the edge.
A Bayesian method for guessing the extreme values in a data set

For a large number of data management problems, it would be very useful to be able to obtain a few samples from a data set, and to use the samples to guess the largest (or smallest) value in the entire data set. Min/max online aggregation, top-k query processing, outlier detection, and distance join are just a few possible applications. This paper details a statistically rigorous, Bayesian approach to attacking this problem. Just as importantly, we demonstrate the utility of our approach by showing how it can be applied to two specific problems that arise in the context of data management.
Negative priming and stimulus repetition: A reply to Neill and Joordens (2002)

Negative priming is reliably obtained with repeated items, but not with novel items. Here, we review why these stimulus repetition effects raise problems for memorybased theories of negative priming. Furthermore, we provide empirical evidence casting doubt on Neill and Joordens’s (2002) claim that perceptual facilitation masks the effects of episodic retrieval with novel items. Finally, we discuss several theoretical and methodological issues raised in the reply by Neill and Joordens. We conclude that a more straightforward interpretation of these stimulus repetition effects is one based on activation-sensitive inhibition.
PROTEIN METABOLISM, GROWTH, AND LIVER COMPOSITION OF YOUNG RATS FED COMBINATIONS OF WHEAT, SOY CONCENTRATE, AND PEANUT PROTEIN WITH ADDED N-ACETYL-L-METHIONINE

Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley male rats (55g) were divided into 8 groups of 7 rats each on the basis of body weight and fed 7 isonitrogenous diets in which wheat flour (WF), soy concentrate (SC), peanut flour (P), and N-acetyl-L-methionine (AcMet) in different combinations provided 12.5% protein for 35 days. Combinations of WF (70%) with SC (30%) or P (30%) or a blend of SC (15%) with Acmet (0.28-0.29%) produced varied effects on body weight, nitrogen digestibility, food intake, nitrogen retention, liver weight, liver nitrogen (N), and liver lipids (P 0.01). Addition of SC alone or SC plus Acmet to WF increased food intake, body weight gain, N retention, N digestion, liver weight, and liver N better than addition of an equal amount of P or P plus AcMet to WF (P < 0.01). These results appear to suggest that wheat protein was improved by the addition of various levels and blends of SC and AcMet; that the pattern of amino acids produced by these mixtures were equally utilized as those furnished by casein; and that SC is superior to 9 as a supplement to WF as judged by weight gain, digestibility, N retention, liver weight, and liver N.
An Analysis of Community and Professional Participation Among Occupations

Occupational groups in a large-scale research organization are analyzed with regard to their membership and participation in community and professional associations. Community participation is measured in three empirically distinct ways: (1) percentage of each occupation in one or more associations, (2) percentage in three or more associations, and (3) percentage witlh high participation scale scores. Participation in professional associations was measured by scale scores following Chapin's method. In addition, occupational groups are analyzed in terms of their membership in four types of community associations-church, fraternal, neighborhood, and sport. Among community associations. some support is found for the hypothesis that individuals who join one type of association are likely to join other types. However, the relation between participation in community and professional associations is low. The study clearly supports the general importance of occupations in the explanation of membership and participation in voluntary associations. V oluntary associations are considered to be integrative for both society and the individual, as well as providing a direct way for individuals to initiate change.1 Consequently, sociologists have shown a continued interest in group participation in voluntary associations.2 This study follows the tradition of research concerned with the differences between the social characteristics of joiners and nonjoiners. In this way, the study is an expansion and partial replication of previous
The Teenage Brain: Sensitivity to Rewards

Adolescence is characterized by heightened reward sensitivity. Accumulating evidence suggests that this behavior is associated with neurodevelopmental changes in reward-related neural circuitry. In this article, I review recent studies in animal models and humans that highlight the unique adolescent response to reward in the striatum, a reward-sensitive brain region. This work helps the field understand characteristic adolescent behavior and will be important in addressing policy questions related to this period of development.
Student Teaching in Music: A Content Analysis of Research Journals in Music Education

The purpose of this study was to examine research being conducted on student teaching in four eminent music education research journals (Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Tea...
Buffer Zone Distances to Protect Foraging and Loafing Waterbirds from Disturbance by Airboats in Florida

Abstract We exposed 13 species of waterbirds (Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Falconiformes) to the direct approach of an airboat to determine their flush distances. Five lakes with different levels of airboat activity were visited in central Florida during April-August 1999 to 2001. We detected considerable variation in flush distances among individuals within the same species and significant differences among species in response to an airboat. Average flush distances among all species ranged from 49 m for the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) to 172 m for the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Average flush distances among herons ranged from 65 m for the Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) to 113 m for the Great Egret (Ardea alba). Larger species generally exhibited greater average flush distances. A comparison of the flush distances elicited by a fast moving outboard-powered boat and an airboat indicated that all nine species exhibited significantly greater flush distances to the approach of an air...
Physical and Microwave Radiative Properties of Precipitating Clouds. Part I: Principal Component Analysis of Observed Multichannel Microwave Radiances in Tropical Stratiform Rainfall

Abstract Using stringent criteria pertaining to rain-cloud optical thickness and horizontal extent, 3203 multichannel microwave observations of heavy, widespread tropical precipitation over ocean were selected from 9 months of global Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) data. These observations subsequently were found to be associated almost exclusively with stratiform rain areas in tropical cyclones. Because of the restrictions on optical thickness and spatial extent, the mean multichannel microwave brightness temperatures and their interchannel covariances are presumed to be determined primarily by the vertical microphysical structure of the rain clouds. The distribution of the above observations in seven-dimensional channel space is characterized concisely using principal component analysis. It is found that only three independent variables are sufficient to explain 97% of the variance in the correlation matrix. This result suggests that the radiometrically important microphysical properties of thes...
Detailed evaluation of the upper urinary tract in patients with prune belly syndrome using magnetic resonance urography

Summary Introduction Magnetic resonance urography (MRU) has proven to be useful in the setting of complex urologic anatomy. Prune belly syndrome (PBS) patients are known to have malformed and highly variable urinary tract anatomy due to significant dilation and renal dysplasia. Objective To further characterize the renal and ureteral anatomy and renal function in patients with PBS via MRU. Study design Children with PBS undergoing MRU (2006–2011) were identified. Studies were performed to evaluate severe hydronephrosis in all patients. Demographics, previous imaging, and MRU findings were collected. A single radiologist reviewed all studies. Results MRU was performed on 13 boys, with a median age of 29.3 months (IQR 6–97). Two patients underwent >1 study for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJ obstruction) and calyceal diverticulum with a solitary kidney, respectively. Hydroureteronephrosis (HUN) was identified in 12 boys (92%), while one (8%) did not have ureteral dilation. All patients demonstrated morphologic abnormalities beyond HUN as follows: five (38%) renal dysplasia; five (38%) scarring; four (31%) calyceal diverticula; and three (23%) thickened bladder. The median renal transit time (RTT) was 6 min (IQR 3.5–10.5), and >8 min (range 8.5–35) in six patients; one patient was ultimately diagnosed with obstruction. The mean serum creatinine was 0.5 ± 0.3 mg/dl. This summary figure is a coronal excretory phase T1 MRU image demonstrating absence of well-defined calyces and a 5-cm calyceal diverticulum (white arrow). Discussion This study reports significant anatomic and functional findings on MRU that were not readily apparent when using standard imaging for children with PBS. The high-resolution images and functional data obtained with MRU allowed for visualization of calyceal diverticula and abnormal renal pelvic anatomy not previously described in PBS. In addition, renal dysplasia could be identified with MRU, which is badly characterized in the PBS population outside of renal biopsy studies. Potential limitations of the study included its nature as a small retrospective case series, which limited the ability to compare imaging modalities. Imaging modalities were based on individual clinical needs; therefore, comparison with diuretic renal scintigraphy was limited. Conclusion MRU provided anatomic and functional details of the urinary tract in children with PBS that allowed for characterization of new renal anatomic abnormalities, including the incidence of calyceal diverticula and renal dysplasia, which have not been previously described. While renal scarring, dysplasia and calyceal diverticula were easily discerned on MRU in ten patients, their clinical significance requires longer follow-up in a larger patient population. Download : Download high-res image (56KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure .
Mediatization of Religion: How the Indonesian Muslim Diasporas Mediatized Islamic Practices

This study explores the process of mediatization of religion in the context of how Indonesian Muslim diasporas in the United States are using media to mediatize Islamic practices. Using ethnographic observation of the Indonesian Muslim Society in America (IMSA) and their media activities, this study found Islamic practices are mediatized to deal with several issues that are faced by this minority group. IMSA's media-related activities, such as Radio IMSA and Tele-Halaqa, have helped this diasporic community to practice Islamic rituals as well as to find Islamic resources, especially since their religious authorities may not always be physically available. These research findings may challenge the common assumption of the mediatization of religion theory, which argues that the media could encourage secularization. For Indonesian Muslim diasporas, dependency upon media for religious practices does not make this community more secular, but makes them more religious.
Monte Carlo calculated correction factors for the PTW microDiamond detector in the Gamma Knife-Model C.

Purpose: Accurate dose measurements in small fields require correction factors when sufficient CPE is not present inside of the field. These factors adjust for perturbation, volume averaging, and other effects; as such, they are field size, detector, and phantom dependent. In this work, Monte Carlo (MC) methods were used to calculate correction factors for PTW's microDiamond detector in Elekta's Gamma Knife Model-C unit. These correction factors allow for accurate measurement of output factors—even in the smallest field sizes where CPE is not present. Methods: The small field correction factors were calculated as kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr correction factors according to the Alfonso formalism. The MC model of the Gamma Knife was built with the EGSnrc code system, using BEAMnrc and DOSRZnrc user codes. Efforts were made to validate the MC model against experimental measurements. Using the model, field output factors and measurement ratios for each of the four helmet sizes were simulated for an ABS plastic phantom and validated against film measurements, detector measurements, and treatment planning system (TPS) data. Once validated against the available ABS phantom, the model was applied to a more waterlike solid water phantom. Using MC results from the solid water phantom, the final k correction factors were determined relative to the machine specific reference field—the 18 mm helmet, which is the largest field size available on the unit. Results: When validating against experimental measurements using the ABS phantom, all MC methods agreed with experiment within the stated uncertainties: MC determined field output factors agreed within 0.6% of the TPS and 1.4% of film; and MC simulated measurement ratios matched physically measured ratios within 1% for all helmet sizes. kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr for the PTW microDiamond in the solid water phantom approached unity to within 0.4% ± 1.7% for all the helmet sizes except the 4 mm; the 4 mm helmet size over-responded by 3.2% ± 1.7%, resulting in a kQ4mm,Q18mmf4mm,f18mm of 0.969. Conclusions: Similar to what has been found in the Gamma Knife Perfexion, the PTW microDiamond over-responds in the smallest 4 mm field. The over-response can be corrected via the Alfonso formalism using the correction factors determined in this work. Using the MC calculated correction factors, the PTW microDiamond detector is an effective dosimeter in all available helmet sizes.
A Test of Political Bias in Scholars' Preference for Measuring Fiscal Strain

We hypothesized that specialists' preference for measuring fiscal strain by using environmental/socioeconomic indicators would correlate with liberal political attitudes, and preference for governmental/fiscal indicators would correlate with conservative political attitudes. Reasons for the hypothesis are offered. Data are analyzed from a survey of authors of journal articles about fiscal strain, but no such correlations emerge. This evidence that specialists' preferences for measuring fiscal strain are not grounded in political attitudes provides a measure of reassurance about social scientists studying fiscal strain.
Age changes in swelling properties of human myocardium.

SummaryTo detect changes with age in structure of myocardial proteins, swelling properties of human myocardium in solutions of HCl and NaOH were investigated. Fragments of myocardium were incubated in solutions of various pH values and increases in weight were used as measures of swelling ability. Maximal swelling occurred at pH 0.9, 2.4 and 11.2. Greatest swelling, probably of the Donnan equilibrium type, occurred at pH 11.2 and this value was used for subsequent studies. Swelling decreases rapidly in the first years of life, then appears to remain constant until 35 years of age after which it decreases, to apparently remain constant at a low level. Collagen content, dry weight and amount of solids extracted during swelling do not vary with age. Heating myocardium causes a decrease in swelling ability. The possible role of thermal denaturation in myocardial aging and physiological implications of swelling changes are discussed.
Persistence of Heliothis Npv on Foliage of Cotton, Soybean, and Tomato

The Heliothis nuclear polyhedrosis virus was rapidly inactivated under field conditions on the upper leaf surface of cotton, soybean, and tomato. Inactivation of the virus was most rapid on cotton with little activity remaining after 24 h. While persistence on tomato was significantly better than on the other hosts, little virus activity remained after 96 h. Use of Shade™ and lignin sulfate as ultraviolet screens resulted in good virus persistence on all hosts through 48 h. Caging plants at night to prevent dew formation did not reduce virus inactivation. Persistence was good when plants were exposed from dusk to dawn but caged during the day to prevent sunlight inactivation. Undcr these conditions inactivation was greatest on cotton with 57% virus activity remaining after 96 h. Continuously caged plants of all hosts also had some loss of activity and while generally less than on plants exposed from dusk to dawn was not significantly different.
Comparison of the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic profiles of extended-release ketoprofen and piroxicam in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The efficacy and safety of two once-daily nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were compared in a single-center, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study. Sixty patients with rheumatoid arthritis received either extended-release ketoprofen 200 mg or piroxicam 20 mg once daily for 3 weeks. Both treatments produced significant improvements from baseline in the primary efficacy variables (physician's global assessment, patient's global assessment, number of tender joints, number of swollen joints) at most visits. There were no statistically significant differences between treatments in any efficacy variable except the number of tender joints at week 3, favoring piroxicam. Both treatments improved the quality of sleep. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic evaluations were conducted on a subset of 29 patients, aged 57 to 71 years. No statistically significant differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters were noted between the first and last dose of extended-release ketoprofen; that is, there was no accumulation of ketoprofen. In contrast, a fourfold increase in peak concentration, a twofold increase in area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), and a 53% reduction in clearance were observed in piroxicam-treated patients. There was a direct relationship between AUC at steady state and three of four efficacy variables for ketoprofen. No correlation between the efficacy scores and trough plasma levels was seen with either drug. There were no significant differences between treatments in the number of adverse events. Elevated mean blood urea nitrogen levels and relative hyponatremia persisted 1 week after the end of treatment in piroxicam-treated patients. The results of this study indicate that extended-release ketoprofen and piroxicam are therapeutically comparable. However, extended-release ketoprofen, in contrast to piroxicam, reached steady state after the first dose, was rapidly cleared, and did not accumulate over the 3-week study period.
Anterior Urethral Polyps

The second reported case of an anterior urethral polyp is presented. The etiology, pathology and treatment of urethral polyps are discussed.
Jewish Communal Affairs: April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015

The demographic study of the American Jewish community conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2013 remained the subject of intense discussion as scholars reanalyzed the data to trace patterns of mixed marriage, late marriage, and attitudes toward Israel and Jewish peoplehood. Certain actions of the Israeli government—the bombardment of Gazan civilians in the summer war against Hamas, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s acceptance of an invitation to speak before a joint session of Congress, without President Obama’s knowledge, about the threat of a nuclear Iran, and Netanyahu’s pre-election statements that there would be no two-state solution on his watch and that Arab voters were being “bused in” to defeat him—drew the administration’s ire and that of many American Jews. On the religious front, the non-Orthodox denominations came increasingly to resemble each other as Conservative rabbis moved closer to endorsing officiation at mixed marriages.
Microstratigraphic sampling and the limits of paleontologic resolution

Rates of modern sedimentation in various depositional settings have been compiled and ad- justed for compaction for the purpose of estimating the spans of time represented in thin stratigraphic samples. Owing to discontinuous or low rates of sedimentation, it is either impossible or impractical to recover a continuous series of discrete life assemblages of fossil populations by collecting microstrati- graphic samples from continuously fossiliferous intervals. Assemblages that are less time-averaged may be recovered from discontinuous records formed in depositional environments with higher rates of inter- mittent sedimentation, but these are isolated in time and cannot be used to observe the dynamics of local faunal history. Patterns of fossil distribution may appear similar to patterns of living populations ex- plained by neontologic processes, but the longer time scale of even the best fossil sequences suggests the action of uniquely paleontologic processes that may be driven by environmental changes.
Plasma alpha-amino-n-butyric acid to leucine ratio: nonspecificity as a marker for alcoholism.

Recent studies suggest that the ratio of plasma a-amino-n-butyric acid to leucine is increased specifically by chronic heavy alcohol consumption. To test this hypothesis, we determined this ratio in normal controls and (1) currently drinking chronic heavy alcoholics; (2) currently abstaining chronic alcoholics; (3) patients with nonalcoholic liver disease; (4) chronically alcohol-fed rats and mice; (5) mice infected with murine hepatitis virus; and (6) mice exposed to carbon tetrachloride. Mean ratios in control persons, drinking alcoholics, abstaining alcoholics, and nonalcoholic liver disease patients were not statistically different. Of 5 drinking alcoholics followed serially from the beginning of abstinence, 1 had an elevated ratio on admission and a persistently elevated ratio even 2 weeks later; another had a ratio more elevated after 2 weeks of abstinence than on admission; and 3 had ratios in the normal range. Compared to control rats, chronically alcohol-fed rats had a significantly elevated mean ratio after 1 month and an even higher ratio after 2 months {P
NEW ORGANISMS OF ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: THE CASE OF FRANKIA

ABSTRACT In a world faced with a shortage of the energy necessary for the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizers, the symbiotic nitrogen fixation system involving actinomycetes belonging to the genus Frankia and trees and shrubs has to be exploited to satisfy the world's need for forestry products. The recent isolation and growth of strains of Frankia in vitro has placed these organisms on the list of new organisms of economic importance. Their properties are described and avenues for further research are indicated.
Enzyme-free uric acid electrochemical sensors using β-cyclodextrin-modified carboxylic acid-functionalized carbon nanotubes

Carboxylic acid-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-MWCNT) were modified via ultrasonication with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to obtain a COOH-MWCNT:β-CD nanocomposite material for the purpose of developing an enzyme-free electrochemical sensor for uric acid—a clinically relevant molecule implemented in pregnancy-induced hypertension diagnosis. The nanocomposite material is deposited onto glassy carbon electrodes and subsequently capped with layers of Nafion and Hydrothane polyurethane. The surface morphology and electronic structure of the nanocomposite material were characterized using UV–Vis, TEM, and FTIR. The performance of the electrochemical sensor was measured through direct injection of UA during amperometry. With the high surface area of the COOH-MWCNT in concert with the selectivity provided by β-CD, the composite system outperforms similar COOH-MWCNT systems, displaying enhanced UA sensitivity versus films with only COOH-MWCNT. With the improved sensitivity (4.28 ± 0.11 µA mM−1) and fast response time (4.0 ± 0.5 s), the sensors offer wide detection of UA across clinically relevant ranges (100–700 μM) as well as demonstrated selectivity against various interferents.
Future applications of injectable biomaterials: the use of microgels as modular injectable scaffolds

Abstract: This chapter seeks to overview the fabrication and characterization of polymeric microgels and their current and potenial uses for injectable drug delivery and tissue engineering. As these materials can be formed with a wide range of functionalities, microgels can be utilized in a wide range of applications, including as building blocks for scaffold design.
The Role of Social Support in the Modification of Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease

A strong relationship has been demonstrated between life-style behaviors (e.g., smoking, excessive consumption of foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium, and lack of exercise) and the development and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (e.g., Kannel, 1983; Page, 1976; Stamler, 1978). A decreased likelihood of developing CVD is related to modification of these risk factors, making such modification an important means for improving an individual’s cardiovascular health (Superko, Wood, & Haskell, 1985; Thorn & Kannel, 1981).
Diffusion of Nutrients in a Biphasic Medium for the Cultivation of Trypanosomes

1. Studies on uninoculated, biphasic media, containing 10% defibrinated rabbit blood in an agar base with Locke's solution as an overlay, have shown that diffusion of nutrients from the agar base into the overlay requires about 24–48 hr for equilibration.
Kostant-Toda lattices and the universal centralizer

Abstract To each complex semisimple Lie algebra g decorated with appropriate data, one may associate two completely integrable systems. One is the well-studied Kostant–Toda lattice, while the second is an integrable system defined on the universal centralizer Z g of g . These systems are similar in that each exploits and closely reflects the invariant theory of g , as developed by Chevalley, Kostant, and others. One also has Kostant’s description of level sets in the Kostant–Toda lattice, which turns out to suggest deeper similarities between the two integrable systems in question. Some more recent works allude to a strong connection between the two systems, e.g. Bezrukavnikov et al. (2005), Teleman (2014, 2018). We study relationships between the two aforementioned integrable systems, partly to understand and contextualize the similarities mentioned above. Our main result is a canonical open embedding of a flow-invariant open dense subset of the Kostant–Toda lattice into Z g . Secondary results include some qualitative features of the integrable system on Z g .
Effects of Farmers’ Yield-Risk Perceptions on Conservation Practice Adoption in Kansas

When considering adoption or intensification of existing conservation practices, farmers have unique, subjective views of the associated risks. These individual risk perceptions could have important implications for conservation adoption or intensification. As a result, traditional policy approaches to encourage conservation agriculture may be inefficient. This study examines conservation adoption, with special consideration given to yield-risk perceptions. We present a conceptual model of perceived yield risk and estimate bivariate probit models using survey data. Results indicate that positive practice perceptions, particularly with respect to soil fertility, and opportunities for on-farm trialing may encourage adoption.
Change Point Detection in Knee Acoustic Emissions using the Teager Operator: A Preliminary Study in Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Acoustic emission events (clicks) produced by the knee during movement have a variety of causes but can be classified as physiologic or pathologic. In this paper, we present a pilot study investigating detection and classification of physiologic and pathologic clicks in knee acoustic emissions from 4 subjects with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and 4 control subjects. First, the signals are filtered and spectral noise suppression is applied. Then, the clicks are located using the Teager energy operator and are extracted from the main signals. Several time and frequency domain features are extracted from each click. Using a random forest classifier, the clicks are categorized as “physiologic” or “pathologic”. In our dataset, we found an accuracy, sensitivity and precision of 94.3%, 93.3% and 96.6%, respectively, in correctly attributing these clicks to their respective classes. Similarly, the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve is calculated as 0.98. The proposed click detection and classification pipeline may be used as an objective guide for knee health assessment in future work.
Communicating Prognosis at Diagnosis and Relapse or Progression

Communication is the most common procedure in medicine and is a vital component of care in pediatric oncology. A significant body of evidence exists that can guide the conversations between pediatric oncology clinicians and patients and their families. Unique to the field of pediatrics in general is the triangular relationship that exists between the physician, the patient, and the patient’s parents, which requires special consideration when discussing communication. It must be recognized that although substantial data underpin the beneficial impact of clear, compassionate, and honest communication to both parents and in an age-appropriate manner, to children, these conversations are not easy. We cannot diminish the emotions that permeate conversations surrounding poor prognosis or relapse of disease; but this chapter serves to guide discussions with a goal to improve care of patients and their families. While the majority of evidence for honest communication comes from studies in adults, here we will review relevant data as it relates to pediatric oncology followed by how to apply this in pediatric oncology practice.
Mutational Forks: Inferring Deregulated Flow of Signal Transduction Based on Patient-Specific Mutations

The precise mechanism behind treatment resistance in cancer is still not fully understood. Despite advances in precision oncology, there is a lack of tools that help to understand a mechanistic picture of treatment resistance in cancer patients. Existing enrichment methods heavily rely on quantitative data and limited to analysis of differentially expressed genes, ignoring crucial players that might be involved in this process. In order to tackle treatment resistance, the precise identification of deregulated flow of signal transduction is critical. Here, we introduce a bioinformatics framework that is capable of inferring deregulated flow of signal transduction given evidence-based knowledge about pathway topology and patient-specific mutations. While testing the proposed pipeline on a case study, our algorithm was able to confirm findings from biological experiment, where KRAS mutant cells developed treatment resistance to MEK inhibitor. Our model provides a framework for mechanistic understanding of acquired treatment resistance, thus, equipped clinicians with tool for searching more accurate diagnostic clues in patients with non-trivial disease representations.
Relationship between hs-CRP and the etiology of children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Objective To explore the relationship between hs-CRP and the etiology of children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease(HFMD). Methods A total of 1 156 laboratory-confirmed children diagnosed with HFMD by pathogenic detection(detection methods include EV71-CA16 IgM antibody detection and universal real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR detection of enterovirus nucleic acid EV71/CA16/EV) in the Children′s Hospital of Hangzhou were involved in the research from September 2014 to July 2016.The hs-CRP levels in the early days(≤5 days) were recorded, and all data were analyzed with SPSS16.0. Results Of all the 1 156 cases, there were 642 cases with hs-CRP level more than 10mg/dL, of whom 37 cases were infected by EV71(5.8%), 552 cases were infected by EV(86.0%), 53 cases were infected by CA16(8.2%). In 514 cases with hs-CRP level less than 10mg/dL, of whom 298 cases were infected by EV71(58.0%), 152 cases were infected by EV(29.6%), 64 cases were infected by CA16(12.4%). Of cases with hs-CRP>10mg/dL, EV universal type got a significantly higher rate, with statistically significant difference(P<0.05). Of cases with hs-CRP<10mg/dL, EV71 got a significantly higher rate, with statistically significant difference(P<0.05). Conclusion The higher the hs-CRP level of the HFMD, the higher infection rate of EV.The lower the hs-CRP level of the HFMD, the higher infection rate of EV71. Key words: Enterovirus infections; Fluorescent antibody technique; Virulence factors; C-reactive protein; Hand-foot-and-mouth disease; Etiology detection
Prefix-free quantum Kolmogorov complexity

Abstract We introduce quantum-K (QK), a measure of the descriptive complexity of density matrices using classical prefix-free Turing machines and show that the initial segments of weak Solovay random and quantum Schnorr random states are incompressible in the sense of QK. Many properties enjoyed by prefix-free Kolmogorov complexity (K) have analogous versions for QK; notably a counting condition. Several connections between Solovay randomness and K, including the Chaitin type characterization of Solovay randomness, carry over to those between weak Solovay randomness and QK. We work towards a Levin–Schnorr type characterization of weak Solovay randomness in terms of QK. Schnorr randomness has a Levin–Schnorr characterization using K C ; a version of K using a computable measure machine, C. We similarly define Q K C , a version of QK. Quantum Schnorr randomness is shown to have a Levin–Schnorr and a Chaitin type characterization using Q K C . The latter implies a Chaitin type characterization of classical Schnorr randomness using K C .
Crystal structure of tert -butyl 4-[4-(4-fluoro-phen-yl)-2-methyl-but-3-yn-2-yl]piperazine-1-carboxyl-ate.

The title sterically congested piperazine derivative, C20H27FN2O2, was prepared using a modified Bruylants approach. A search of the Cambridge Structural Database identified 51 compounds possessing an N-tert-butyl piperazine substructure. Of these only 14 were asymmetrically substituted on the piperazine ring and none with a synthetically useful second nitro­gen. Given the novel chemistry generating a pharmacologically useful core, determination of the crystal structure for this compound was necessary. The piperazine ring is present in a chair conformation with di-equatorial substitution. Of the two N atoms, one is sp3 hybridized while the other is sp2 hybridized. Inter­molecular inter­actions resulting from the crystal packing patterns were investigated using Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint analysis. Directional weak hydrogen-bond-like inter­actions (C—H⋯O) and C—H⋯π inter­actions with the dispersion inter­actions as the major source of attraction are present in the crystal packing.