cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NONINDUCTIVE METABOLISM OF ITACONIC ACID BY PSEUDOMONAS AND SALMONELLA SPECIES

Martin, William R. (University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.), Frank Frigan, and Edna H. Bergman. Noninductive metabolism of itaconic acid by Pseudomonas and Salmonella species. J. Bacteriol. 82:905–908. 1961—Ten molds, three yeasts, and 44 bacteria were screened for the noninductive metabolism of itaconic acid by growing in complete media containing traces of C14-labeled itaconic acid. Several Salmonella and Pseudomonas species incorporated significant quantities of radioactivity into their cellular components. The enzymatic conversion of itaconic acid to citramalic acid was demonstrated in cell-free extracts from both P. aeruginosa and S. chittagong.
Methodologic quality of knee articular cartilage studies.

Purpose: (1) To evaluate the quality of knee articular cartilage surgery literature using established methodologic quality instruments, and (2) to assess whether study quality has improved with time. Methods: A systematic review was performed using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), osteochondral autograft and allograft transplant, and microfracture were analyzed. Study methodologic quality was assessed by the level of evidence and 9 different methodologic quality questionnaires. Comparisons were made between different surgical technique groups by use of Student’s t tests. Assessment of study quality improvement with time was performed by comparison of the Coleman Methodology Score (CMS) from the included studies (2004 to present) and CMS from a prior study assessing quality of articular cartilage studies (1985 to 2004). Furthermore, assessment of study quality improvement with time was performed over the period of the included studies (2004 to present). Results: We included 194 studies (11,787 subjects). Most evidence was Level IV (76%) and nonrandomized (91%). ACI was the most commonly reported technique (62% of studies). Only 34% of studies denied the presence of a financial conflict of interest. The mean subject age was 33.5 � 8.2 years, and the mean length of followup was 3.7 � 2.3 years. By use of study quality questionnaires, the methodologic quality of articular cartilage studies was poor. However, study quality (after 2004) was significantly improved versus that reported from a prior study (before 2004) using the CMS (P .05). The quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was significantly higher than that of non-RCTs (P < .05). The most common study weaknesses included blinding, subject selection process, study type, sample size calculation, and outcome measures and assessment. Conclusions: The methodologic quality of knee articular cartilage surgery studies was poor overall and also for individual techniques (ACI, osteochondral autograft transplant, osteochondral allograft transplant, and microfracture). However, the overall quality of the investigations in this review (after June 2004) has significantly improved in comparison to those published before 2004. The quality of RCTs was significantly higher than that of non-RCTs. Level of evidence, CMS, CONSORT score, and Jadad score did not significantly improve with later publication date within the period of the studies analyzed. Methodologic quality deficiencies identified in this investigation may be used to guide future articular cartilage studies’ design, conduct, and reporting. Level of Evidence: Level IV, systematic review of studies with Levels of Evidence I-IV.
Aerodynamics of a Round Jet in a Counterflowing Wind

In Chiao's computation8 of nonlinear vortex lift based on Polhamus' suction analogy, he recommended that the projected C.P. was the best arrangement of MFES to calculate suction forces acting on wing side edges. DeJarnette9 had treated the problem of spanwise distribution of control points in 1976. In his paper, the present projected C.P. distribution was called "conventional" and was quoted to have the same unsatisfied results as the midpanel C.P. arrangement. He had proposed another C.P. arrangement which was almost identical with ours except the positions of panel side and control point were interchanged. But, our work on this subject has already shown that the projected C.P. arrangement is far from "conventional," it behaves more superior to the midpanel C.P. When compared with DeJarnette's, the projected C.P. provides the same accuracy and rate of convergence.
Krüppel-Like Factor 9 Is a Negative Regulator of Ligand-Dependent Estrogen Receptor α Signaling in Ishikawa Endometrial Adenocarcinoma Cells

Estrogen and progesterone, acting through their respective receptors and other nuclear proteins, exhibit opposing activities in target cells. We previously reported that Kruppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) cooperates with progesterone receptor (PR) to facilitate P-dependent gene transcription in uterine epithelial cells. Here we evaluated whether KLF9 may further support PR function by directly opposing estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Using human Ishikawa endometrial epithelial cells, we showed that 17β-estradiol (E2)-dependent down-regulation of ERα expression was reversed by a small interfering RNA to KLF9. Transcription assays with the E2-sensitive 4× estrogen-responsive element-thymidine kinase-promoter-luciferase reporter gene demonstrated inhibition of ligand-dependent ERα transactivation with ectopic KLF9 expression. E2 induced PR-A/B and PR-B isoform expression in the absence of effects on KLF9 levels. Addition of KLF9 small interfering RNA augmented E2 induction of PR-A/B while abrogating that of PR-B...
The rhetoric of personal loyalty to superiors in criminal justice agencies

Abstract Nowhere in public law is the idea of personal loyalty to superiors mentioned, yet criminal justice practitioners suffer from a “personal loyalty syndrome.” This syndrome holds them responsible to an altogether different set of loyalty expectations. They are often compelled to offer personal loyalty to unworthy superiors and, as a result, violate constitutional provisions, legal requirements, or the public good. While no organizational rules require any such loyalty, criminal justice practitioners are invariably taught that issues of loyalty at the workplace are so important that one cannot survive without personal loyalty to superiors. They are also reminded that violating such a “commandment” is a cardinal sin that can destroy one's career. This article discusses the arguments for and against personal loyalty to superiors and the dangers inherent in such relationships. It explains the grammar of loyalty at the workplace, explores the paradoxes of personal loyalty to superiors, and suggests a duty-based model as an alternative to the current model.
Chloroplast culture: the chlorophyll repair potential of mature chloroplasts incubated in a simple medium.

The chlorophyll repair potential of mature Cucumis chloroplasts incubated in a simple Tris-HCl/sucrose medium is described. The chloroplasts were isolated from green, fully expanded Cucumis cotyledons which were capable of chlorophyll repair. This was evidenced by a functional chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway in the mature tissue. The biosynthesis of protocholorphyllide from exogenous delta-aminolevulinic acid was used as a marker for the operation of the chlorophyll biosynthetic chain between delta-aminolevulinic acid and protochlorophyllide. The conversion of exogenous protochlorophyllide into chlorophyll a was used as a marker for the operation of the chlorophyll pathway beyond protochlorophyllide. It appeared from these studies that contrary to published reports, unfortified fully developed Cucumis chloroplasts incubated in Tris-HCl/sucrose without the addition of cofactors exhibited a partial and limited chlorophyll repair capability. Their net tetrapyrrole biosynthetic competence from delta-aminolevulinic acid was confined to the accumulation of coproporphyrin. No net tetrapyrrole biosynthesis beyond coproporphyrin was observed. However, the plastids were capable of incorporating small amounts of delta-amino[4-(14)C]levulinic acid into [14C]protochlorophyllide but were incapable of converting exogenous protochlorophyllide into chlorophyll. After prolonged incubation of the unfortified chloroplasts in the dark, a fluorescent protochlorophyllide-like compound accumulated. This compound [Cp (E430-F631) was shown to be neither protochlorophyllide nor zinc-prototochlorophyllide but and a fluorescence emission maximum at 631 nm (F631) in methanol/acetone (4 : 1, v/v). Cp(E430-F631) WAS SHOWN TO BE NEITHER PROTOCHLOROPHYLLIDE NOR ZINC-PROTOTOCHLOROPHYLLIDE BUT an enzymatic degradation product of chlorophyll. The exact chemical identity of this compound has not yet been determined.
'Die Seele sehnte sich hinaus in den Schnee': The Meaning and Function of Outside Space in Bettine von Arnim's Die Guenderrode

At this stage in the history of von Arnim scholarship, I believe, that it is time to place her literary works at the center of critical focus and consider the possibility that a close analysis of the structures and strategies employed in her aesthetic works will reflect and illuminate the author’s underlying motives and inspirations in a way that a one-sided focus on her life cannot. Therefore, this article will concentrate on analyzing what seems to be a central theme throughout much of her work, but especially in Die Gunderode – namely, the protagonists’ complex relationship to outside space(s). A next step will consist of suggesting how the meaning and function of outside space can be understood as subtle and perhaps even ironic commentaries on certain cultural and philosophical discourses of the day. In so doing, I hope to illuminate the creative complexity of this multi- layered text, and to make clear in what way it transcends the sphere of autobiographical commentary.
Re, k and π : a conversation on some aspects of mathematical modelling

Abstract Re and k discuss π's approach to what we understand by a mathematical model; how it may have certain generic properties and how hierarchies of related models arise in connexion with a given physical situation. Joined at this point by π, they continue to talk about the way in which models are formulated and prepared for solution. This preparation involves such things as the choice of the most suitable dimensionless variables, reduction to the smallest number of equations, proving uniqueness and discovering the shape of the solution. In conclusion, some aspects of the presentation of the results are discussed. The abbreviated names of Reynolds, Boltzmann and Pythagoras have been used only to denote the engineer, natural scientist and mathematician taking part in the discussion; there is no allusion to the points of view of the historic figures.
Modelling mushy zones in welds of multicomponent alloys : implications for solidification cracking

AbstractA method is proposed for calculating the variation in fraction liquid with distance in the mushy zone as an aid to determining the effect of alloy additions on solidification cracking susceptibility. The model combines the general liquidus equation of a multicomponent system, solute redistribution relations, and temperature gradient information. Calculations are presented for a range of niobium bearing superalloys and the results were found to reveal important relations between alloy composition, variation in fraction liquid with distance in the mushy zone, and cracking susceptibility as measured by the Varestraint test. In particular, the results directly show that the addition of carbon to these alloys is generally beneficial because it reduces the size of the crack susceptible mushy zone and limits the amount of terminal liquid available for the low temperature L → γ + Laves reaction. The modelling results and experimental data are also used to describe the influence of other alloy additions.
Active gold species on cerium oxide nanoshapes for methanol steam reforming and the water gas shift reactions

We report that a small amount (<1 at%) of gold on ceria single crystals prepared as nanorods (10 ± 2.8 by 50–200 nm) of {110} and {100} crystal surfaces shows excellent catalytic activity in both the steam reforming of methanol (SRM) and the water gas shift (WGS) reactions at low temperatures (<250 °C). The ceria nanorods bind and stabilize gold as atoms and clusters (<1 nm, TEM invisible). On the other hand, gold nanoparticles (∼3 nm) are found on the {100} surfaces of ceria nanocubes. Very low rates of SRM and WGS were measured on the Au–ceria {100} cubes, while the rates on Au–ceria {110} rods were at least an order of magnitude higher. However, the apparent activation energies did not depend on the shape of ceria. Strong bonded Aun–O–Ce species are the active sites and these are present only in negligible concentrations on the {100} surfaces. Thus, both reactions are structure-insensitive on Au–ceria. SRM proceeds through the methyl formate route. The Au–ceria {110} catalyst shows both high SRM activity and high selectivity to CO2 at temperatures below 250 °C.
Notes: A construction of an infinite family of 2-arc transitive polygonal graphs of arbitrary odd girth

A near-polygonal graph is a graph @C which has a set C of m-cycles for some positive integer m such that each 2-path of @C is contained in exactly one cycle in C. If m is the girth of @C then the graph is called polygonal. We provide a construction of an infinite family of polygonal graphs of arbitrary odd girth with 2-arc transitive automorphism groups.
Non-linear tunneling charge transport in soft ferrites

To better understand the high-frequency magnetic loss mechanisms in soft ferrites, we measured the conductivity of the soft ferrites for large values of the electric field. We found that the conductivity is highly non-linear. We show that this non-linearity is consistent with charge tunneling through thin insulating films separating adjacent ferrite grains. This non-linear conductivity can be used to obtain observed flux density dependence of the high-frequency magnetic loss. This flux dependence of the high-frequency loss previously remained anomalous.
Region of Interest Motion Compensation in PET Image Reconstruction

Recent literature has seen a number of efforts in respiratory motion correction of PET imaging by considering motion as part of the system model. This type of method however relies on a motion map derived from images (4D PET or 4D CT) of the entire field of view (FOV). In this study we present a region of interest (ROI) based extension to this approach, whereby only the motion map of a user-defined ROI is required and the incorporation of motion into the system model is solely performed within the ROI. A physical phantom study and an NCAT phantom based computer simulation study were performed to test the feasibility of this method. The physical phantom study showed that the proposed ROI based approach had comparable performance within the ROI when comparing with the full image based approach using the same, accurate motion information. The NCAT phantom based study further testified that motion of image features of interest can be estimated more efficiently and potentially more accurately using the ROI based approach.
Fosteria, a new genus of Mexican Iridaceae

A new genus and species of Iridaceae,Fosteria oaxacana, is described from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. This genus is closely related toTigridia andRigidella of tribe Tigrideae.
Genome Canalization: The Coevolution of Transposable and Interspersed Repetitive Elements With Single Copy DNA

Transposable and interspersed repetitive elements (TIREs) are ubiquitous features of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. However, controversy has arisen as to whether these sequences represent useless‘ selfish’ DNA elements, with no cellular function, as opposed to useful genetic units.
Silicone allergy in ventriculoperitoneal shunts

Reported are the cases of three hydrocephalic patients who developed a clinically heterogenous entity with an allergic rejection of their silicone ventriculoperitoneal shunts. All of the patients had an original presentation indicative of a shunt infection, but laboratory analysis revealed sterile cerebrospinal fluid in all three cases. The typical course included recurrent skin breakdowns over the shunt tract, subsequent infections and development of fungating granulomas. Treatment, with successful resolution of the symptoms, included changing the shunt material from silicone to polyurethane, with immunosuppression in one patient and removal of the shunt altogether in the other two patients. The roles of the immune system and silicone in the pathophysiology of this condition are discussed.
Protective effect of ferric dextran on the embryopathic action of indium.

Nach Indiumnitratinjektion bei Goldhamstern mit 8-tagiger Schwangerschaft wird eine erhohte Mortalitat der Embryonen sowie Gliedmassenanomalie gefunden. Bei gleichzeitiger Verabreichung von Eisendextran (Imferon) werden die Embryonalschaden weitgehend unterdruckt.
Poly(arylene ethers)

Abstract Several new arylene ether homopolymers and copolymers have been prepared by the nucleophilic displacement of aromatic dihalides with aromatic potassium bisphenates. Polymer glass transition temperatures ranged from 114 to 310°C and a few of the polymers were semicrystalline. Two ethynylterminated poly(arylene ethers) were synthesized by reacting hydroxy-terminated oligomers with 4-ethynylbenzoyl chloride. Heat induced reaction of the acetylenic groups provided materials with good solvent resistance. The chemistry, physical and mechanical properties of the polymers are discussed.
Phytoplankton ecology in an unusually stable environment (Montezuma Well, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Relatively minor annual amplitudes of change in certain major nutrients, and especially pH and water temperature were measured in the spring-fed system of Montezuma Well, Arizona during a four year study. phytoplankton diversity was low but for the most part, composition was spatially and temporally constant; total seasonal phytoplankton density was significantly correlated with regional incident light. Phytoplankton species composition changed briefly during and for a short period following the summer monsoon. Ultraplankton (<5 µm diam.) numerically comprised nearly 80% of the phytoplankton community throughout most of the year. The limited residence time of water in the Well may have provided a competitive advantage for cells with high surface area:volume ratios and correspondingly rapid division rates. Nannochloris bacillaris Naum. and Coccomyxa minor Skuja were perennial dominants. Diatom populations did not increase with annual increases in vernal solar radiation. Low pH, high dissolved CO2, and limited residence time for metabolic inhibitors are considered to be largely responsible for the reduced blue-green populations in the Well. The only flagellated photosynthetic group present in Montezuma Well was the Cryptophyta. Desmid populations were minimal, even though pH was consistently below circumneutral (6.5) and free CO2 concentrations high. The role of grazing by an amphipod, Hyalella montezuma, on annual phytoplankton abundance is examined.
Angular distributions and cross sections of fragments from neutron-induced fission of 232Th☆

Abstract Fission fragment angular distributions and cross sections were measured for the fission of 232 Th induced by mono-energetic neutrons of energies 1.20±0.02, 1.40±0.02 and 1.60±0.02 MeV. The fission fragments are detected with approximately 2π geometry with a polycarbonate resin detector. The fission cross section and angular distribution are both changing markedly with neutron energy. Information on the single-particle levels in the transition nucleus 232 Th is derived by fitting the experimental data with a Hauser-Feshbach type calculation which includes, in addition to the fission channels, the open neutron and gamma-ray decay channels taking into account level-width fluctuations.
Chapter 3 Lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils

Article synthese sur le phenotype et les fonctions cellulaires des differents types de cellules qui peuvent intervenir dans l'immunite cellulaire et la reponse immune en general. Les lymphocytes B et T, les monocytes, les macrophages et les neutrophiles ont ete etudies
Energetics of nectar extraction in a small, high altitude, tropical hummingbird,Selasphorus flammula

Selasphorus flammula (2.4–3.0 g) breeds in the high mountain regions of Costa Rica (up to 3200 m). Its small size together with the cold temperatures results in high energetic demands on the birds. The energetic efficiency with whichSelasphorus could extract nectar fromTropaeolum flowers was estimated by measuring foraging rates at individual flowers and estimating nectar production rates between flower visits. Extraction efficiency was expressed in caloric terms by converting hovering time to caloric expenditure and nectar volume to caloric intake through measurements of nectar concentration. 1. Selasphorus had a low rate of nectar extraction fromTropaeolum flowers. However, bothTropaeolum andSalvia flowers produced nectar that was more concentrated than the nectar from other flowers sampled in the mountain regions of Cost Rica. 2. The small size of these flowers may preclude providing large volumes of nectar, but the high nectar concentration could increase nectar extraction efficiency. The differences in nectar concentration between flowers probably is related to the strategy used by the flowers to achieve pollination. 3. Information on mean available nectar volumes for unprotectedSalvia flowers enabled a rough estimate of rate of visitation ofSelasphorus atSalvia and the number of flowers necessary to provide a neutral energy budget. The calculations indicate that a femaleSelasphorus should visit individualSalvia flowers about once every 5 hours. To account for foraging and resting metabolic costs during the day and incubating costs at night, a nesting female should visit about 540 flowers/hr or about 2700 flowers/day.
Late effects of 50 McVd→Be neutron and cobalt-60 irradiation of rhesus monkey cervical spinal cord

Abstract The cervical spinal cords of 30 rhesus monkeys were irradiated with 50 MeV d→Be neutrons or 60 Co gamma rays to evaluate the dose-response relationships for radiation myelopathy. Three groups were treated with 50 MeV d→Be neutrons using dosage schedules of 1300 rad mγ (Group I), 1425 rad mγ (Group II), or 1550 rad mγ (Group III) in nine fractions over 29 days. Three groups were irradiated with 60 Co gamma rays using dosage schedules of 4620 rad mγ (Group IV), 5390 rad mγ (Group V), or 5940 rad mγ (Group VI) in 22 fractions over 29 days. A significant dose-response relationship was observed for the groups treated with neutrons. Whereas none of the monkeys in Group I showed clinical evidence of neurologic dysfunction, all five animals in Group III became paralyzed. One animal in Group II developed transient neck stiffness and mild unilateral leg paresis. No definitive signs of neurologic injury were seen in any of the animals irradiated with 60 Co. The histopathologic changes correlated well with the clinical observations. All of the animals in Group III exhibited moderate to severe malacia and demyelination of the white matter of the cervical spinal cord. The histologic data indicated that the RBE for five times weekly fractionation (∼270 rad mγ 60 Co. fractions) was in the range of 4.2 to 4.6, since the malacia and demyelination in the spinal cords irradiated with 5940 rad mγ of 60 Co. γ-rays were greater than that observed in the spinal cords irradiated with 1300 rad mγ of neutrons but less than the changes in those irradiated with 1425 rad mγ of neutrons.
6.6.3 Meeting the Needs of Hydrographic Surveying: A Case Study of the Requirements Development Process

A long-standing challenge in oceanography and hydrographic surveying is accurate real-time measurement of offshore water levels. The advent of recent techniques and technologies has afforded an opportunity to address this challenge. This paper will discuss the requirement development process as it related to specifying requirements for GPS-tracked buoy for hydrographic survey applications at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). How stakeholders from a variety of technical disciplines collaborated to develop requirements to meet and solve an important operational need via a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant will be explored.
Chronically inhaled ambient particles cause cardiac inflammation in normal, diseased, and elderly rat hearts

Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is linked to increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The exact mechanism by which PM induces cardiovascular toxicity is not completely understood. We sought to study histopathological changes in the heart muscle in young healthy (Wistar–Kyoto, WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats and old (22-month-old) Sprague–Dawley rats (SD) chronically exposed to PM. WKY rats and SHR were exposed for 3 months to ultrafine particles (UFP) or filtered air (FA). SD rats were exposed for 9 months to coarse (CP), fine (FP), and ultrafine particles or FA. In addition, we studied effects of PM on mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and echocardiograms in WKY rats and SHR. Chronic exposure to PM caused histopathological changes in the hearts of all studied strains. The effects ranged from cardiac inflammation caused by 3 months of exposure to UFP in WKY rats and SHR to more severe changes in SD rats exposed to PM for 9 months. Changes in SD rats were inflammation, intracellular edema, and vacuolization in hearts exposed to FP and UFP and vacuolization and collagen accumulation in CP-exposed hearts. In addition, evidence of only mild inflammation was seen in the respiratory tract. We did not observe any statistically significant changes in the MABP (constantly recorded over the entire period of exposure by implanted telemetric devices) and in the echocardiograms in WKY rats and SHR exposed to UFP or FA. MABP at the end of 3 months exposure comprised 153.3 ± 13.9 and 160.3 ± 14.7 mmHg in the SHR-FA and SHR-UFP, respectively, and 124.4 ± 11.2 and 107.9 ± 9.2 mmHg in the WKY-FA and WKY-UFP, respectively (mean ± SD). Our data indicate that chronic exposure to particulate air pollutants causes histopathological changes in healthy (WKY), diseased (SHR), and old SD rat hearts.
Auditory evoked brainstem response and high‐performance liquid chromatography sulfatide assay as early indices of metachromatic leukodystrophy

We studied three patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy, two with late infantile onset and one with juvenile onset. Auditory brainstem responses were abnormal in all patients, including a 14-month-old child who was asymptomatic, with normal neurologic examination and peripheral nerve conduction studies. Auditory brainstem responses therefore indicated early pathology. A new high-performance liquid chromatography assay was used to quantitate the urinary sulfatide excretion at the picomole level.
Trends in post-revolutionary Iranian education

Abstract This paper examines changes in the Iranian educational system implemented by the Islamic theocracy of Ayatollah Khomeini and his religious followers in the decade after the Revolution overthrowing the Shah. The study demonstrates weaknesses in the theoretical literature on development and education because of its inability to anticipate people in a developing nation empowering a government controlled by religious leaders. Religious values dominate this society and they have significantly altered Iranian education in terms of who teaches; how political/religious ideology, gender roles, and other subjects are taught; who attends schools; and consequentially, these affect Iran's literacy rates.
IN VITRO STUDY OF THE METABOLIC EFFECTS OF D-AMINO ACIDS

While the L-configuration of amino acids predominates in all known living systems, D-enantiomers of amino acids have been detected with highly sensitive chromatographic techniques in human physiological fluids. In the present study, the survival of Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) and HeLa cells was inhibited by exposure to high concentrations of some D- or L-amino acids. Inhibition of colony formation, though, was not necessarily observed to be chiral-dependent. Some L-amino acids (LAAs) were found to be toxic while other D-amino acids (DAAs) were innocuous in both cultures. This is contradictory to the previous observations that DAAs were generally considered to be harmful. Frequently it was implied, although not experimentally proven, that the LAAs were not toxic. One of the metabolites produced by oxidative deamination of D- or LAAs is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that is decomposed by catalase. Increased intracellular H2O2 can result in peroxidation of lipids. We measured catalase activity and the lipid peroxide levels (LPO) after incubating cells in either D- or LAAs. The amino acids (AAs) that were found to inhibit colony formation were found to be associated with higher levels of catalase activity and LPO. Therefore, we hypothesize that enhanced ROS generation may be, in part, responsible for the observed toxicity of some amino acids.
Simulating expert clinical comprehension: Adapting latent semantic analysis to accurately extract clinical concepts from psychiatric narrative

Cognitive studies reveal that less-than-expert clinicians are less able to recognize meaningful patterns of data in clinical narratives. Accordingly, psychiatric residents early in training fail to attend to information that is relevant to diagnosis and the assessment of dangerousness. This manuscript presents cognitively motivated methodology for the simulation of expert ability to organize relevant findings supporting intermediate diagnostic hypotheses. Latent Semantic Analysis is used to generate a semantic space from which meaningful associations between psychiatric terms are derived. Diagnostically meaningful clusters are modeled as geometric structures within this space and compared to elements of psychiatric narrative text using semantic distance measures. A learning algorithm is defined that alters components of these geometric structures in response to labeled training data. Extraction and classification of relevant text segments is evaluated against expert annotation, with system-rater agreement approximating rater-rater agreement. A range of biomedical informatics applications for these methods are suggested.
Factors in the landscape-based greenway : a Mountains to sound case study

Abstract This paper describes a case study of the 100 mile × 40 mile (161 km × 64 km) Mountains to Sound Greenway (MTSG) in Washington State, USA, as an example of an emerging greenway model that encompasses contiguous working, dwelling, recreational and protected landscapes and which is structured by an interstate highway. This “landscape-based greenway,” a large-scale, multi-objective greenway type, is defined and related to established greenway typologies and theory. The paper describes a framework of replicable planning, organizational and implementation factors that have contributed to the success of the MTSG, derived from study of the organization and supported by greenway and land planning literature. It presents methods used by the MTSG Trust to advance realization of this pioneering greenway concept, following the proposed planning, organizational, and implementation framework. Significant results in land acquisition, scenic highway status, trail network development, landscape restoration, cultural and educational resources, and preservation of small-town character, farms and forest resource lands are described, while challenges to the long-term viability of the accomplishments are raised. The author cites variations on the non-profit landscape-based greenway model and the corresponding need for replicative studies to further develop the framework of success factors, and notes its applicability to developing regions worldwide.
Long-term changes in soil and plant metal concentrations in an acidic dredge disposal site receiving sewage sludge

A long-term experiment was conducted to determine the distribution of sludge-borne metals applied to a revegetated acidic dredge spoil disposal site. The initial soil was infertile and highly acidic (pH 2.4). Sewage sludge and lime were applied in 1974 at the rates of 100 and 23 mt ha−1, respectively, and tilled into the soil to a depth of 20 cm. In 1974 an adjacent site was also revegetated with topsoil and lime but without sludge. Soil and plants were sampled 2, 4 and 16 yr following seeding. After 16 yr the total and DTPA-extractable Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni and Cd decreased in soils to nearly the levels of the control soils. Concentrations of metals in plants also decreased. Decreases in tissue concentrations ranged from 40 to 70% for Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni and Cd and up to 90% for Zn. The results showed that a single 100 mt ha−1 application of sewage sludge containing high concentrations of metals was a cost-effective method for improving plant growing conditions on highly acidic soils.
Systemic MMP inhibition for periodontal wound repair: results of a multi-centre randomized-controlled clinical trial.

Aim: This multi-centre, prospective, controlled trial was designed to examine the biological response of the matrix metalloproteinase(MMP) inhibitor subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD) combined with access flap surgery on periodontal wound repair in patients with chronic severe periodontitis. Material and Methods: Seventy subjects were enrolled into a 12-month, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked trial to evaluate disease response to 6 months therapy and “wash-out” of either placebo+surgery or SDD (20 mg b.i.d.)+surgery. Primary outcome measure included clinical attachment levels (CAL) and secondary outcomes included probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), as well as gingival crevicular fluid bone marker assessment [collagen telopeptides (ICTP)]. These measurements were taken at baseline through 12 months post-surgery and drug administration. Results: Patients treated with SDD and surgery demonstrated stronger reductions in PD in surgically-treated sites of 7 mm as well as gains in CAL (p<0.004). Furthermore, SDD+surgery resulted in short-term reductions in ICTP levels compared with placebo. Rebounds in ICTP levels and clinical parameters occurred when SDD was withdrawn. Conclusions: The results from this multi-centre study suggests that SDD in combination with surgery improves the short-term response of periodontal therapy by reducing PD, increasing CAL gain and inhibiting early stage bone resorption.
White Flight and the Presence of Neighborhood Nonprofit Organizations: Ethno-racial Transition, Poverty, and Organizational Resources

A growing body of evidence suggests that urban neighborhoods of color experience a dearth of institutional resources, including parks and social services. Yet, little is known of how a key process in the creation and maintenance of racially and ethnically segregated neighborhoods—the flight of whites from integrating neighborhoods—influences the availability of nonprofit human services. Drawing insights from the place stratification perspective and the sociological study of residential segregation by race and ethnicity, we develop hypotheses on the relationship between white flight and nonprofit presence, and test them with a dataset that combines census tract data with data on all nonprofit human service organizations in Los Angeles County in 2001 and 2011. Consistent with the place stratification perspective, we find that white flight is negatively associated with the presence of nonprofit human services after controlling for neighborhood structural characteristics. However, the expectation that the negative effect of white flight on organizational numbers is stronger in poor neighborhoods than in nonpoor neighborhoods is not supported. The negative association between white flight and the presence of nonprofits is equally as pronounced in neighborhoods with low and high levels of poverty.
Validation of Complementary Filter Based IMU Data Fusion for Tracking Torso Angle and Rifle Orientation

Up-down and rifle aiming maneuvers are common tasks employed by soldiers and athletes. The movements underlying these tasks largely determine performance success, which motivates the need for a noninvasive and portable means for movement quantification. We answer this need by exploiting body-worn and rifle-mounted miniature inertial measurement units (IMUs) for measuring torso and rifle motions during up-down and aiming tasks. The IMUs incorporate MEMS accelerometers and angular rate gyros that measure translational acceleration and angular velocity, respectively. Both sensors enable independent estimates of the orientation of the IMU and thus, the orientation of a subject’s torso and rifle. Herein, we establish the accuracy of a complementary filter which fuses these estimates for tracking torso and rifle orientation by comparing IMU-derived and motion capture-derived (MOCAP) torso pitch angles and rifle elevation and azimuthal angles during four up-down and rifle aiming trials for each of 16 subjects (64 trials total). The up-down trials consist of five maximal effort get-down-get-up cycles (from standing to lying prone back to standing), while the rifle aiming trials consist of rapidly aiming five times at two targets 15 feet from the subject and 180 degrees apart. Results reveal that this filtering technique yields warfighter torso pitch angles that remain within 0.55 degrees of MOCAP estimates and rifle elevation and azimuthal angles that remain within 0.44 and 1.26 degrees on average, respectively, for the 64 trials analyzed. We further examine potential remaining error sources and limitations of this filtering approach. These promising results point to the future use of this technology for quantifying motion in naturalistic environments. Their use may be extended to other applications (e.g., sports training and remote health monitoring) where noninvasive, inexpensive, and accurate methods for reliable orientation estimation are similarly desired.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Altered expression of agouti-related protein and its colocalization with neuropeptide Y in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus during lactation.

During lactation, the levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), which plays an important role in mediating food intake, are significantly elevated in a number of hypothalamic areas, including the arcuate nucleus (ARH). To identify additional hypothalamic systems that might be important in mediating the increase in food intake and alterations in energy homeostasis during lactation, the present studies examined the expression of agouti-related protein (AGRP), a recently described homologue of the skin agouti protein. AGRP is found in the hypothalamus and has been suggested to play an important role in the regulation of food intake. In the first experiment, animals were studied during diestrus of the estrous cycle, a stage of the cycle when estrogen levels are basal and similar to lactation, or during days 12–13 postpartum. Lactating animals had their litters adjusted to eight pups on day 2 postpartum. Brain tissue sections were used to measure AGRP messenger RNA (mRNA) levels by in situ hybridization. AGRP mRNA signa...
Vanadyl tert-Butoxy Orthosilicate, OV[OSi(OtBu)3]3: A Model for Isolated Vanadyl Sites on Silica and a Precursor to Vanadia−Silica Xerogels†

The single source precursor OV[OSi(OtBu)3]3 was synthesized in high yield from OVCl3 and HOSi(OtBu)3. This tri(alkoxy)siloxy complex was characterized by 1H, 13C, 29Si, and 51V NMR, FT-Raman, FT-IR...
Unraveling consumer suspense: The role of hope, fear, and probability fluctuations

Abstract This empirical research focuses on suspense, which is proposed to be a formative construct comprised of the emotions of hope and fear. Two measurement studies that focus on developing a scale for suspense, as well as scales for its two emotional components of hope and fear, are first presented. Next, using a 2 (approach appraisal) × 2 (avoidance appraisal) × 2 (probability fluctuation) experiment, we first show that hope and fear are valid indicators of suspense. We also determine that hope is influenced by an approach appraisal of a potential event, whereas fear is influenced by an avoidance appraisal of a potential event. Further, we demonstrate that probability fluctuation positively affects outcome uncertainty, which in turn, positively affects the anticipatory emotions of hope and fear.
Primary surgery versus chemoradiation in the treatment of IB2 cervical carcinoma: a cost effectiveness analysis.

Abstract Objectives To estimate the relative cost-effectiveness of treatments for patients with FIGO stage IB2 cervical cancer and no evidence of metastasis as determined by combination of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Methods A Markov state transition model was constructed to compare two strategies: (1) radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy with tailored adjuvant therapy (RH+TA); (2) primary chemoradiation (CR). Five-year survival estimates for FIGO stage IB2 cervical cancer were obtained from literature. Medicare reimbursement rates and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality database were used to obtain costs of treatment regimens and grades 3–5 adverse events. Strategies were compared using incremental cost per year of life saved (YLS). Extensive sensitivity analyses were performed. Results Overall survival estimates were 78.9% for CR; 79.6% for RH+TA. Mean cost for CR at 5 years was $21,403 compared to $27,840 for RH+TA. RH+TA cost $63,689 per additional year of life saved (YLS) compared to CR. Results were most sensitive to survival estimates and the costs associated with high dose rate (HDR) versus low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy. If 90% of patients with intermediate pathologic risk factors at surgery were assumed to receive adjuvant CR, the ICER of RH+TA rose to $100,000 per YLS compared to CR. Conclusions RH+TA is potentially cost effective when compared to CR for patients with stage IB2 cervical cancer without metastatic disease by PET/CT imaging. Key factors in the cost-effectiveness of treatments include physician's expected recommendation of adjuvant therapy, brachytherapy modality employed for primary CR and quality of life related to both treatment and its complications.
EGR2 Mutations in Inherited Neuropathies Dominant-Negatively Inhibit Myelin Gene Expression

Abstract The identification of EGR2 mutations in patients with neuropathies and the phenotype Egr2/Krox20 −/− have demonstrated that the Egr2 transcription factor is critical for peripheral nerve myelination. However, the mechanism by which these mutations cause disease remains unclear, as most patients present with disease in the heterozygous state, whereas Egr2 +/− mice are phenotypically normal. To understand the effect of aberrant Egr2 activity on Schwann cell gene expression, we performed microarray expression profiling to identify genes regulated by Egr2 in Schwann cells. These include genes encoding myelin proteins and enzymes required for synthesis of normal myelin lipids. Using these newly identified targets, we have shown that neuropathy-associated EGR2 mutants dominant-negatively inhibit wild-type Egr2-mediated expression of essential myelin genes to levels sufficiently low to result in the abnormal myelination observed in these patients.
Seasonal growth of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) solms: Relationship to protein, fiber, and available carbohydrate content

Abstract Concentrations of crude protein, fiber and available carbohydrate in water hyacinths varied seasonally in plants cultured outdoors with constant nutrient availability. Greatest crude protein and lowest fiber and available carbohydrate levels occurred in the winter, at the time of lowest growth rates. As dry matter productivity increased in warmer weather, crude protein levels decreased and fiber and available carbohydrate content increased.
Value of color Doppler estimation of regurgitant volume in patients with chronic aortic insufficiency

We studied 16 patients with chronic aortic insufficiency to compare a method for measuring regurgitant volume with color Doppler flow mapping to stroke count ratio determined by radionuclide ventriculography and to ventricular volumes assessed by two-dimensional echocardiography. A real-time color flow map of the left ventricular was obtained from an apical two- and five-chamber view and the maximal mosaic pattern of diastolic turbulent flow was planimetered as a reflection of the maximal regurgitant volume using biplane Simpson's rule. The maximal Doppler regurgitant volume evaluated by color Doppler flow mapping correlated with the stroke count ratio measured by scintigraphy (r = 0.86, SEE = 11 cc). There were significant relationships between maximal regurgitant volume measured by color Doppler and echocardiographic left ventricular end-diastolic volume (r = 0.88), left ventricular end-systolic volume (r = 0.77), and left ventricular mass (r = 0.71). Patients with larger regurgitant volumes tended to have a larger left ventricular end-diastolic volume-to-mass ratio (r = 0.56). Thus maximal aortic regurgitant volume can be estimated noninvasively with color Doppler flow mapping. The measurement appears to relate to left ventricular morphologic changes occurring in this condition and it may prove to be useful in assessing patients with chronic aortic insufficiency and in determining their long-term management.
Fossil floras from the Emma Fiord Formation (Viséan, Mississippian) of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and their paleoenvironmental context

Abstract Fossil floras from three exposures of the Emma Fiord Formation from Ellesmere Island, Axel Heiberg Island, and Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago fill a gap in our knowledge of the regional distribution of Visean age plant assemblages. Plant fossils occur as compressions in two lithologies, calcareous shale and black shale, representing two different lacustrine depositional environments within a broader system of rift lakes that developed prior to the beginning of widespread Sverdrup Basin sedimentation. Calcareous shales from the Grinnell Peninsula of Devon Island preserve an in situ forest dominated by articulated arborescent lycopsid compression fossils similar to Lepidodendron veltheimii , while black shales from the Kleybolte Peninsula of Ellesmere Island and the Svartevaeg Cliffs of Axel Heiberg Island preserve a more diverse assemblage consisting of fragmentary lycopsid compressions and disarticulated foliage taxa similar to species of Rhodea , Aneimites , and Fryopsis . The Emma Fiord macroflora is comparable to those found in similar tectonic and sedimentary settings in Alaska, Greenland, and Spitsbergen. These assemblages are not as diverse as contemporaneous or roughly contemporaneous tropical lowland floras from North America and Europe.